The disrict has a good agricultural base and a reasonably good infrastructure of various facilities, but the industrial base is weak, resulting in a low income to the district. The dominating agriculture and the weak industrial base together appear to leave a gap, which can be effectively bridged by a co-ordinated approach to enrich the economy of the district. The lack of enterprise and technical knowledge in the local people and the paucity of skilled labour are the major constraints for the industrial growth in the district. Industrially the district remained as one of the backward districts of the State. For want of chronicales it is not possible to trace out the development of industries, avocations and. the level of excellence achieved in the past, but it is certain that in ancient times and also in Mughal period, many villages of this region constituted self-sufficient economic units producing their own cloth, crude agricultural implements and other necessaries of life. It is, however, likely that during the peaceful reign of first four Mughals. some industries and handicrafts prospered and received considerable encouragement from the rulers and local chieftains.

The old time manufacturers of the district are few and insignificant, Some country cloth was woven in a number of villages, situated in the west of Etawah tahsil. In Etawah city, doris of good quality were manufactured on small scale. Few workers were engaged in producing the different articles of horn, especially combs, peacock-feather fans were exported to other places. Bidhuna was famous for the manufacture of leather bags and portmanteaux while Biran fo fine baskets woven from grass. Crude glass was manufactured, at few places and produced the coarser type of glass bangles while the refinement was carried at Sarai Shishgaran. The chief ingredient in the glass was reh. The crude glass produced was primarily always of a greenish-white or black colour, the former tinge being produced by the addition to the scorched reh of a mixture of saltpetre and senda, a red ferruginous stone. Ornamental brass articles, musical instruments and utensils used in worshipping god were manufactured at Jaswantnagar. Candlesticks formed one of the chief articles produced and were made in all sizes from small light candlesticks to pretentious candelabra of sixty branches, manufactured by casting in moulds, and the branches were adorned with various kinds of foliage and crocodile heads, the lines on the leaves being developed with a file after the casting was complete. The musical instruments consisted of marriage trumpets, called turai and fcandal or bhobu. Among the sacrificial utencil sets the most interesting was the puja-ka-gilas, which contained all the utensils necessary for worship and was used by Brahmanas both in private life and in temples. In the nineteenth century the most flourishing industries were those connected with the cotton trade which were run on European lines and were managed by European firms. There were about ten cotton ginning mills in the district.

The main cause of the decay of old time industries was the lack of government assistance and of market facility and the availability of mill-made goods at cheaper rates.

Power

Electric power is available in the district from Northern Power Grid of the State. The district is backward in the consumption of power. In 1971-72 the consumption of power was 16.6 K.W. per hour per capita in the district while the State average was 48.6.

The consumption of power in various sectors of the economy in Etawah city in 1974 is given below :

Till 1965-66, the rural areas were not electrified but in 1970-71, 13.76 per cent villages of the district were electrified. The figure rose further to more than 22 per cent in 1973.

There is only one large-scale unit and it produces cotton yarn. It is known as the U. P. Co-operative spinning Mills Ltd., Etawah. Established in 1958 and situated on Mainpuri road, it is spread over an area of 17.4 ha. This unit started production as late as 1964 with 12,320 spindles which increased to 25,064 in 1969. The total investment in this unit is 174.53 crores and it produced cotton yarn worth Rs 2,67,43,854 in 1974. The raw material, consumed by the unit and mostly imported from Punjab. Rajastkan and Haryana was valued at Rs 1,97,642 in 1974. It employed 1458 persons. The produced cotton yarn is consumed in local looms besides being exported to different districts of U.P. This unit is managed on co-operative lines by a board Of 15 members, ten nominated by the State Government and five representatives elected by the weavers. It consumed power worth Rs 9,28,837 in 1974 and produced the yarn weighting 22,03,571 kg. This mill has a good plan for future expansion and has got the licence for 25,000 more spindles.

Oils, wheat flour, dal, rice, chemicals, engineering goods, plastic goods, grass ware, electricals, leather goods, and textile and allied products are produced in a large number of small-scale units, which are mainly located in the urban areas.

The following statement gives comparative figures of pro-grers of small-scale industries in the district in 1956 and 1974 :

The investment and production of goods in small scale industries sector have gone up since 1956 and it appears that now the industries have become more capital-intensive.

Agro-based Industries

Oil from oilseeds, flour from wheat and pulses from plants, are produced in 53 units, located mainly at Etawah. These units are either operated by electricity or diesel oil.

Agricultural Implements

Agricultural implements, ploughs. crushers, buckets and pans (for making jaggery) are produced in 46 units, majority of which are situated in Etawah. Auraiya. Bhar-thana and Bakewar. The units are operated by electricity and use iron as raw material.

Chemical and Allied Products

Candles, chalks, boot polish washing soap, ink. tooth powder and Ayurvedic medicines are manufactured in 39 units in the district. These units use wax, colour, glycerine, caustic soda, Caster oil, etc.. as raw material.

Mechanical Engineering

Spare parts of machinery, rolling shutters, steel almirahs, .trollys. steel furnitures, etc., are produced m 41 units which are mainly located at Etawah. General repairing work is also done by some of these units.

Plastic and rubber goods producing industries

plastic badges, containeers ornament cases, dropers. spectacles, frames, photo frames and other poods are manufactured in 3 units, located at Etawah proper. These units use polythene, moulding powder and pigment dyestuff as raw materials.

Glass and Ceramics

Optical lenses, .and other crude glass articles, cement jaljes. pipes, etc.. are manufactured in 14 units in the district. Sarai Shisharan is noted, for brinaing out by boiling and melting reh and al^co for manufacture of handles and plass tumblers of mediecre quality. Glass, cement, iron, sand and allied articles are used as raw material in these units.

Electrical Goods Industry

The manufacture of miniature bulbs and batterv charging is done bv 2 units, located at Etawah and Auraiya Filament, tunguston, resistance and moteweldow wires are used as raw materials in this industry.

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The following statement gives the details about the small scale industries of the districts in 1974:

The village and cottage industries include mostly the handicrafts handed down from generation to generation. Cotton textiles, pottery, edible oils, carpentry pieces, footwear, baskets, resha, blankets and agricultural implements, are the goods falling under the group of industries, which are manned and owned by particular section of the village community. Textile is generally in the hands of Muslim weavers, while Kumhars monopolise pottery, Chamars leather trade, Gadarias blanket matting, and Kaseras metal-works.

A survey of the village and cottage industries in 1956, revealed the following facts :

Handloom Industry

Amongst cottage industries, this Industry is the most important. Though this trade is scattered throughout the district, but Etawah, Ekdil, Jaswantnagar, Phaphund, Bh-rrthana, Auraiya and Bidhuna are the main centres. There are at present in 1974, 5,000 looms (including 380 power-looms) with 9,240 people engaged in this work. This industry has come in the fold of co-operative societies and the majority of the weavers have joined them. The District Weavers Central Co-operative Stores Ltd. established in 1936, is the apex body of these societies which effects sale of finished goods and purchase of raw materials. This co-operative organization faced difficulties in the initial stages but with the help from the industries department kept the paddle of the store moving. The store specialised in production of furnishing materials, staple and andi chaders. coating, shirting. dhoti, sari and dusters, the last ones mostly supplied to Government U. P. Handicrafts and U. P. Industrial Co-operative Association Ltd and other sale depots of the State. It supplied bed spreads and dressing materials to U. S. A., U. K. and Germany. The industries department of the State has the co-operative societies in setting the sales depots at Etawah. Auraiya, Bharthana and Jaswantnagar, the main market centres of the district.

Cotton yarn, the main raw material, is available locally The total investment of this industry was Rs 1,52,230,000, while the raw material consumed valued Rs 91.20,000 and the total production amounted to worth Rs 4,45,93,950 in 1974. The articles worth about Rs 2.5 crores are exported to different places. This industry is getting incentive from the State government and there is a nlan to change handloom into framelooms.

Pottery

Pottery, an old industry of the district, still sustains the economic life of some people. Beside the earthen-wares and tiles, the potters usually concentrate on the images of gods and goddesses particularly of Ganesh, Laxmi, Shiva, Durga and Saraswati. These products are easily sold out on the occasion of fairs and festivals. Smooth black clay, commonly used for pot-making is available locally, however, the industry is presently not in a prosperous state. Though the traditional potters are scattered throughout the district, but there are three co-operative societies engaged in this trade, whose investment was Rs 54,000 in 1874. The total production valued Rs 26,100 while the raw material consumed costed Rs 22,500 and 42 persons were employed in these units. This industry has only local market.

Oil

Oil form oil-seeds is extracted by many units but 6 co-operative societies are engaged in this trade, located at Etawah, Jaswantnagar, Phaphund, Dibiapur and Ajabpur. An amount of Rs 22,356 was invested in the industry, when oil worth Rs 96,880 was produced in 1974. These units consumed the raw materials valued at Rs 82,000 and gave employment to 118 persons. Oil-caks is a bye-product which is used as cattle feed.

Leather work

The manufacture of shoe and allied articles is an age old industry depending mostly on traditional skill and workman-ship. The shoes made conform mostly to indigenous designs, and utilise locally tanned leather. There were 11 co-operative units engaged in tins trade, employing 243 persons in 1974. The total investment was Rs 76,715, while the raw materials consumed valued Rs 10,87,000 and the articles produced were worth Rs 11,61,100, in 1974.

Gur and Khandsari making

The indigenous production of Gur and khandsari provides seasonal employment to 150 persons, who work on a daily wage system There are 5 co-operative units, located at Bakewar, Kuiyan, Bhatrura Mukutpur and Singahnur, with total investment of Rs 18,171. engaged in this industry. The production amounted to Rs 1,65.000 and the raw materials consumed valued at Rs 1,54,000 in 1974

Smithy and Carpentry

Simple agricultural tools and implements such as sickles, spades, axes, cutters, wooden frames for doors and windows, beds, wheels for carts, ploughs and some pieces of furniture are manufactured throughout the district, but 3 registered co-operative units are also engaged in this work, and they are located at Sahar, Phanhund and Etawah, The total outlay of these units was Rs 20,114 and the production figures were Rs 82 833, wbile the raw material consumed was worth Rs 73.970 in 1974 As many as 45 persons were -employed by these three co-operative units.

Edibles Producing Industry

Puffed rice, lai chura and splitting of pulses is produced in 7 co-operative units, located at Raimau, Baberpur. Rasoolpur. Nagla. Jadaun, Atsu, Nawdhana and Etawah. in the district: The total investment of .these units was Rs 35.138, while the raw materials consumed were worth Rs 1,19.289 and the productions were worth Rs 1,27.254 in 1974. As many as 110 persons were employed in this trade.

Resha Industry

Ban or mooj strings are produced in 4 co-operative units, located at Arwa, Pachhahan Gaon, Dibiyapur and Etawah. This industry is being run from times immemorial and the basic raw material is available in appreciable quantity in the district. The total investment of these units was Rs 10,450, while the raw materials consumed valued Rs 56,000 and the production was worth Rs 65,000 in 1974. As many as 75 persons were engaged in these units.

Other Industries

The articles, of peacock feathers, morha making, basket-making, horn-combs, utensils of iron and bangles are produced in large number of units, which are scattered throughout the district.

Industrial Estate

An industrial stage was established in 1964 at Jaswantnagar. It covers an area of 2 ha. 10 sheds wore constructed but none was utilized and at present they are occupied by Food Corporation for storage purposes.

There is a proposal to set up a new industrial estate in Etawah.

Aid to Indurtries

Etawah is one of the industrially under developed districts of Uttar Pradesh. Though the number of industrial sheds and chimneys is going up as technical knowledge, financial assistance and local facilities of power, and water are being made available, still the district requires special attention.

Financial assistance is made available by the industries department of the State Government, commercial banks and the Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation. However the bulk of the financial assistance is bein;j channelised through the U. P Financial Corporation.

The U. P. Financial Corporation Kanpur, extends assistance to industrial concerns on its own behalf and on behalf of the State Government. Its own plan of disbursement is known as the corporation loan scheme while the loans advanced on behalf of State Government are of two types liberalized loan scheme and ordinary loan scheme. Under the former scheme, loans are advanced at reduced rates of interest and for longer periods extending unto 15 years.

The corporation has been authorised by the State Government to carry on and transect various types of business but at present, it has confined its activities to the granting of loans to industrial concerns and issue of deferred payment guarantee to industrial units for the purchase of indigenous machinery from manufacturers and suppliers. The corporation can grant loans under the corporation loan scheme to the extend of Rs 30.00,000 in the case of private and public limited companies or registered co-operative societies and Rs 15,00.000 in the case of proprietorship concerns. The rate of interest is 11.5 per cent per annum with a rebate of 2 per cent for prompt payment.

Liberalized Loan Scheme

The loans under the ordinary loan scheme and liberalised loan scheme are considered for amounts ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000. The applications for loans under the schemes are channelised through the district Industries officer, Etawah. The interest charged is 8 per cent per annum with a rebate of 2 per cent for prompt payment. The loans are recoverable in eight equal instalments. The number of instalments are increased in the case of liberalized loan scheme. The following statement gives and idea of the loans assistance provided by the corporation :

           INDUSTRIAL POTENTIAL AND PLANS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

With the introduction of modern methods of cultivation and a minimum price of agricultural produce, the economic condition of the people has improved, providing the district a better base for industrial development The prospects for establishing new industries in the district is analysed on the basis of available resources and the existing and anticipated demand for various manufactured items in the district Since there is only one large scale unit in the district, there is some scope for the establishment of few more and also for the ancillary industries.

Industrial potential for small-scale industries is based on the available resources. Infra-structure facilities and the market The district is poor in natural resources and only agriculture can provide certain crops and bye-products which can be processed and utilized by few small scale units. District leads the State in respect of production of peas and wheat while barley, maze. sugar-cane, oil-seeds, pulses and potatoes are grown in surplus. The industries are classified under two major heads, resource based industries and demand based industries. Under resource based industries certain industrial units can be opened to utilize the available resources of the district. The district produces about 2.10 lakh metric tonnes of sugar-cane and there is no sugar mill in the district. Thus one or two industrial units for manufacture of sugar by sulphitation plant can be easily established. A solvent extraction plant can be opened in the district, as the district produces oil-seeds in large quantity and much. of oil is left in oilcakes, the percentage being between 7 to 10. This oil left in oilcakes may he extracted bv solvent extraction process because it has double advantage : viz.. oil is recovered from oilcakes and the dry oil cakes, being exportable item, a earn foreign exchange. There are many rice mills in the district, but there is no rice bran oil mill. In view of the availability of sufficient quantity of rice-bran from rice mills, there is scope for the operation of such mills, at some trade centres of the districts like Etawah. Dibiyapur Bharthana, etc. An industrial unit for the manufacture of activated charcoal (carbon) can be opened. Activated charcoal is used as a decolouring agent by vegetable oil-mills and paint industry. Much of rice husk is burnt by rice mills instead of being utilized for the manufacture of activated charcoal by some unit preferably at Etawah or Bharthana. A manufacturing unit for straw-board can also be established in the district, as paddy, wheat, maize and sugar-cane baggasse, the raw material of this industry is available. The district produces about 50,000 metric tonnes of green peat and 42,000 metric tonnes of potatos annually and the people like to eat it in off season as well, so there exists a necessity for the establishment of a mill for dehydrated peas and potato chips. There is a scope for the opening of vegetable tannery, as about 50,000 hides and one lakh of skins annually are available in the district. At present only 10 per cent of these hides and skins are used by the local cobblers. The establishment of this unit may also take the advantage of availability of babool bark in plenty from local forests. At present the flour is milled by 'atta-chakkis' and there is no roller flour-mill in the district. With the increasing demand for maidd and suji a roller flour mill with a capacity of 30 tonnes per day can be opened. There is a scope for the opening of some new dal mills also.

Size of market, levels of income, educational standard, degrees of urbanization, habits and outlook of consumers are major factors which determine the demand based industries. Industrial units for the manufacture of P. V. C. pipes and R. C. C. pipes can be opened. With the opening of new primary health centres the demand for distilled, saline and glucose water has increased and some units can be easily set up to meet the demand Besides these, the units for the manufacture of steel furniture, rolling shutter, conduit pipes, utensils, electric goods, hosiery items, ready made garments, polythene sheets and bags, plastic novelty items and toys and toilet articles etc., can be set up in the district. There is scope for few cold storages also. The old cottage industries need serious attention and efforts in order to revive them with good results.

Labour Organisation

There were 10 trade unions registered in the district in 1974 with a total membership of about 1290 workers. The main objects of these unions are to ensure fair wages, good living and working conditions, proper medical and educational facilities for labourers and their general welfare. They also help in creating a healthy relationship between the employers and employees.

Labour welfare

The Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Employment of Children Act, 1936. the U P. Maternity Benefit Act, 1938, the Minimum Wages Act. 1948 the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948, the U. P. Industrial Establishments (National Holidays) Act, 1961 and the Motor Transport Workers Art, 1961, are enforced in the district. In 1974 there were two labour inspectors in the district, to ensure the enforcement of labour laws, advancement of labour welfare schemes, and for maintaining liasion between the employees and employers. For fuller details of labour welfare scheme chanter XVII may be seen