Workers And Non-workers

In 1961 the ratio of workers and non-workers to the total population in the district were 32.fi per cent and 67 4 per cent, the corresponding ratios for the State being 29.1 and 60.9 respectively of the total workers in the district cultivators and agricultural laborers comprised 77.6 per cent. Next come other services claiming 10-4 per cent followed by household industry and other manufacturing concerns with 6.4 per cent and trade and commerce 4 per cent. In other categories the percentage was very small. The extent of female participation in work was 4.9 per cent against 6.7 per cent of the State. The corresponding percentage in agricultural activities was higher than in non-agricultural activities accounting for 9.9 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively.

The total rural population 10.74 931 of the district in 1961 comprised 32.8 per cent workers and remaining 67.2 per cent non-worker The corresponding percentages for the urban area were 30.4 and 69.6 respectively. Thus the proportion of workers was lower in towns than in villages. Of the total 3,52362 workers in rural area in 1961 cultivators and agricultural labourers were 84.4 per cent and worker engaged in non-agricultural activities were 156 per cent only. As usual there was preponderance of non-agricultural workers in the urban area the percentage being 95.3.

The comparative data of 1961 and 1971 pro as follows:

The statement apparentlv indicates an alarming decrease in the working Population indicating unemployment even amongst the already employed persons of 1961 This anomaly has cropped up due to the change in the definition of worker in 1971. The definition of worker adopted in 1961 Census allowed many persons to be included in the category of workers. In 1961 as little as one hours work in a day entitled a person to be treated as worker. Accordingly a woman, whose time basically utilized in household duties was defined a worker even if she took food on the field, tended the rattle or did some such other work. In the census of 1971 a man or woman who was engaged primarily in household duties such as cooking for own household, whether such a person helped in the family's economic activities as a part time worker or not, was not treated as worker and was put in the category of non-worker. This should explain the appalling decrease in the number of total workers in 1971 in spite of increase in population by about 22.5 per cent from 1961.

In 1971 Census, workers have been classified into nine major categories, the basis of the classification being those economic activities which were similar in respect of process, raw material and products. The details of the nine categories of workers, in 1971 are as follows :

As will be observed from above, all the non-workers have been grouped together in one single class though they have been classified in the census as follows :

(a) Full-time students
(b) Those attending to household duties
(c) Dependants and infants
(d) Retired persons and rentiers
(e) Persons of independent means
(f) Beggars and vagrants
(g) Inmates of penal, mental and charitable institutions
(h) Others

GENERAL LEVEL OF PRICES AND WAGES

No record of prices can be traced in the district before 1840, but it is probable that they did not differ greatly from those obtaining in the neighbouring districts of Agra and Kanpur, in which between 1830 and 1837 wheat sold at an average rate of 27.5 and 24.5 seers per rupee. From 1839 to 1850 in Etawah and Auraiya markets prices ruled extremely low, wheat selling on an average at 32.0 seers, gram at 45.75 seers and jowar at 66 seers for a rupee. After the latter year a sharp rise took place. The average price of wheat during the next decade (1861-70) was 19.95 seers, per rupee representing a rise of 48 per cent over that of the period between 1849 and 1858, the decennial average was, however, effected by the droughts of 1860 and 1869. The prices of produce other than wheat had risen in the same proportion. It was generally estimated that prices in the district were 40 per cent generally higher in 1870 than they were in 1840. The famine of 1878 led to considerable rise in the prices, and it continued for almost a decade. In the last decade of the nineteenth century, prices further rose considerably owing to the scarcity or famine of 1896-97, followed by the drought of 1900, and ruled higher than ever, wheat selling on -the average at 14, barley at 18.5 jowar at 18.75 and gram at 18.25 seers for a rupee. About 1910 normal prices for the district were reckoned to be 14 seers per rupee for wheat, 20 seers for gram and 22 5 seers for jowar.

With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, a series of changes in prices including a considerable rise in the cost of food-grains, were witnessed in the succeeding years- In 1916 the price level in the district was higher by 28 per cent, and in 1928 by 54 per cent over the rates prevailing in 1911, which were 11.62 seers per rupee for wheat, 7.75 seers for rice (ordinary), 14. (5 seers for gram and 12.50 seers for dal arhar.

The world-wide economic depression started in 1930 and continued with greater severity in the years that followed. Consequently from 1930-31, the rates registered a downward trend and the price level in 1934 went down by about 40 per cent and 28 per cent as compared to those of 1928 and 1916 respectively. Prices remained low till the end of the first half of 1936 when they began to be stabilized and became steady in 1937, at a level higher than that of 1936. By 1939 they registered a rise of nearly 19 per cent over those prevalent in 1934.

The annual average prices for certain years during the above period were as follows

After the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 there was a steep-rise in prices, largely due to speculation and profiteering. Other factors like the holding back of stocks in anticipation of further shortages, contributed in no small measure to maintain and even to advance the high level reached in prices. At the beginning of 1940 price control measures which had been put into operation on the outbreak of the war were vigorously enforced by the district authorities. These measures included fixation of prices, as modified from time to time, institution of prosecution to check profiteering and licensing of food-grains dealers. Even then the prices continued to go up and it was experienced that effective control of prices was not possible without control over supplies. Therefore, to ease the situation; a partial rationing scheme was introduced in 1943 for the poorer section of the society and the markets were allowed to function normally. In 1944, the partial rationing scheme was converted into hundred per cent rationing under which all were allowed the facilities of obtaining rationed food-grains at subsidized rates from the government shops without disturbing normal sale of food-grains in the district. By leaving a free market simultaneously the possibility of breakdown in supplies was avoided. The availability of certain food-grains at cheaper rates from the government shops induced the dealers to reduce their own prices and to bring out their hoarded stocks. These measures having failed to ease the market position total rationing was enforced a little later and sale of rationed commodities was totally banned in the open market.

It was expected that with the end of the War and enforcement of price control measures by the government the general food situation would ease, but it did not. In August, 1944 the prices stood higher by 253 per cent than those of 1911 and by about 210 per cent than those of 1939. The average annual rate for certain years from 1935-40 to 1948-49 were as follows :

The period between 1944 and 1952 was that of control and rationing when that prices attained a new height. In 1952 the prices per kg. were Rs 0.44 for wheat, Rs 0.37 for gram and Rs 0.64 for rice. From August 1952, markets were allowed to function normally and restrictions on movements and prices of food-grains were also withdrawn. Food-grains to ration card holders, however, continued to be supplied from ration shops under an informal rationing scheme, in order to arrest any rising trend.

Expectations of an immediate fall in the prices of food-grains and easing of food situation as a result of the relaxation of controls from August did not materialise. On the contrary the prices of nearly all food-grains kept on rising. Towards the end of 1953, prices tended to come down a little. The normal forces of demand and supply once again started to operate. Neither the cultivator was sure of getting a fixed minimum price for his grain nor the trader was assured of his commission on the grains supplied by him. The nervousness of both led to a further decline in prices. As a result the downward trend which had started at the end of 1953 could not be arrested and by 1955 prices fell by about 15 per cent for wheat, 46 per cent for gram and 25 per cent for rice as compared to those prevailing in 1952. This was a countrywide trend, which required to be checked in the interest of the overall economy particularly for the cultivator who needed to be assured of a minimum price, so that he could stick to his land. The government, therefore, took measures in 1953-54 to support the minimum price which started a gradual upward trend as a result thereof. The prices did not stabilize but continued to move upwards. The rates for certain years from 1953 to 1974 are given below:

In 1858 a skilled labourer earned between Rs 0.19 to Rs 0.25 and an ordinary labourer Rs 0.60. The wage level did not record any marked variation in the years that followed and about 1900 skilled labourers of the type of masons, smiths and carpenters were paid a monthly remuneration of Rs 10.00 or over Rs 0.31 per day, while ordinary labourers earned a daily wage of Rs 0.16.

Wage census was first carried out in the State in 1906, according to which wages for skilled arid unskilled labour in that year and in the years of the censuses that followed were as follow:

After the First World War a marked all round rise in wages had occurred as revealed in the wage census of 1928. The year 1930 was one of world-wide economic depression which reflected in the census of 1934, where after wages began to rise. The steep rise in 1944 was attributed to the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. The wages moved for an adjustment but there was no coming down and they continued to move upwards as noticed in the following statement

In 1974, wages for various agricultural occupations, e.g., weeding,, reaping, ploughing, transplantation etc., were about Rs 4.50 per day for eight working hours. The wages normally paid to the different categories of workers in the town of Etawah are shown in the statement below :

GENERAL LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT

The statement given below shows that there has been a considerable increase in the number of persons employed in private sector though in the public sector the increase is comparatively less, during the years 1970-74. The data relate only to a few selected establishments which were subjected to enquiry conducted by the employment exchange authorities.

The number of persons given in the foregoing statement for the last two years, when further divided according to their work were as follows :

The extent of employment of women workers is indicated by the following statement showing their number in the private an:1 public sectors during the year ending December, 1974:

The proportion of women workers in different spheres in the quarter ending in December, 1974 was as follows :

Educational standards of men and women who registered for employment during the year ending December, 1973 were as follows:

During the quarter ending September, 1974, the employment exchange was required to recommend candidates for 1.080 pests, the Central Government needed 7 candidates State Government 24, quasi-government (State) 911, local-bodies 82 and the private sector 55.

The district experienced shortage of stenographers (Hindi and English), qualified nursery teachers, midwives, radio mechanics, instructors, tractor mechanics, hosiery instructor, gardeners, and analyst-chemists. There was a surplus of persons having no previous experience and technical training.

The employment exchange at Etawah was established in 1957 to render assistance to the unemployed and the employers of the district in finding suitable jobs and suitable candidates for jobs respectively A sub-employment exchange was also established in 1972 for recruitment to be made in the U. P. Co-operative Spinning Mill in the mill premises.

The following statement gives an idea of the assistance rendered by the employment exchange during 1969 to 1973:

The exchange introduced the employment market information scheme in 1960. Under this scheme an intensive study is carried out to ascertain the number of persons employed, posts fallen vacant and the type of jobs for which qualified candidates are not available, in a quarter in the establishments in the public and some selected private sectors.

The vocational guidance and employment counselling programme is also being carried out by the exchange since 1969. Under this project, material assistance is provided to desirous candidates to enable them to formulate their plans in conformity with their qualifications, aptitude and realities of employment market. In 1974, as many as 329 candidates sought individual guidance and 1,896 persons participated in group discussions.

NATIONAL PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The subject of national planning and rural development received little attention under the British rule and whatever efforts were made in this direction were merely the outcome of political expediency and confined to activities such as sanitation, expansion of agriculture and providing of irrigational facilities. When the first Congress government came into office in 1937, a scheme for rural development was adopted in certain villages of the district. The scope of the scheme was later expanded and a rural development association was formed at district level. The functions of the association having a non-official chairman and subdivisional magistrate as secretary were more or less advisory in nature. They covered rural hygiene, construction of roads, establishment of libraries, construction of panchayat ghars, holding of night schools for adults, and allied developmental activities. With the Congress government going out of office in 1939 the rural development programme also dwindled. In 1948, the rural development department was merged with the co-operative department, the rural development association was replaced, by the district development association with a non-official as chairman and the district co-operative officer as its secretary.

In 1948, the pilot project division of the Community Development Administration was started in the district with headquarters at Mahewa (which shifted to Ajitmal in 1954'. Here, the people and the government cooperated with each other in getting their first lessons in mass mobilisation with a view to achieve general uplift-social, cultural, industrial and agricultural. The project extended to Mahewa both in tahsil Bharthana and Ajitmal and Bhagya Nagar blocks in tahsil Auraiya, covering almost one-forth area of the district.

In the First Five-year Plan (1951-56) the main objective was to raise the standard of living of the people and to make available to them opportunities of wider and more varied life. It was largely a collection of departmental programmes. In the wake of the problems created by partition emphasis was naturally on agriculture, irrigation and transport. Consequently efforts were made for improving agricultural practices and developing the village community through national extension service schemes and peoples participation in different activities. Earth-work on buildings and village roads, drainage, brick pavement, digging of soakage pits, etc., was done by voluntary labour (shramdan). Improved methods of agriculture and use of compost manures were also introduced. Tube-wells and other facilities of irrigation were augmented.

In 1951. the district planning committee having the district magistrate as its chairman and the district planning officer as its secretary, replaced the district development association. It had a number of subcommittees for the preparation and execution of Plan programmes. Its role however, continued to be advisory. The development block was the unit of operation into which the district was divided for the implementation of the Plan programmes of each department.

Mahewa, in tahsil Bharthana, the first community development block of the country, as also described earlier, was opened in September, 1948, followed by Bhagya Nagar on October; 1951.

The scope of the Second Five-year Plan (1056-61) was enlarged to include industrilisation with stress on the development of heavy industries in the public,sector. The aim was to increase the national. income by 25 per cent and to reduce unemployment. In the field of agriculture, schemes relating to Japanese method of paddy cultivation, U. P. method of wheat cultivation, expansion and training in the use of agricultural implements, chemical and green manures were taken up. The whole district was divided into 15 development blocks for implementation of Plan schemes.

In 1958. trie Antarim Zila Parishad which was the precursor of the present Zila Parishad, was formed bv amalgamating the d's-trict planning committee and the district board For the co-ordinated execution of the different plan schemes the resources of agriculture, co-operative, animal husbandry, panchayat Raj and some other departments were pooled and put under the control of the district planning officer.

During the Third Plan period (1961-66) a three tier structure of rural self governing bodies was set up with effect from December 1 1963 to ensure peoples participation in the successful implimentation of the planning programmes. Now the village panchayats function at village level, the Kshettra Samities at block level and the Zila Parishad at district level. The district has now 14 development blocks as per details given below

The Third Five-year Plan was conceived as the first stage of a decade or more of intensive development leading to a self-reliant and self-reliant economy. It sought to ensure a minimum level of living to every family while narrowing economic and social disparities. Some special programmes. such as improved variety of seeds particularly those of dwarf variety, intensive method of wheat and paddy cultivation and plant protection measures were taken in hand. The next three years from April. 1966 to March 1969 did not form part of the next plan. Yearly Plans for these three years were formulated with the broad objectives :

(i) A growth rate of 5 per cent in the agricultural sector and 8 to 10 per cent in industry
(ii) An annual growth rate of 6.P per cent in production of food-grains to achieve self-sufficiency
(iii) To maximise employment opportunities with the proposed growth rate
(iv) To redress imbalance arising from a high rate of population growth and inadequate expansion in agricultural production by reducing the fertility rate to 25 per thousand in shortest possible time.

The Fourth Plan (1969-74) defined more precisely the wider and deeper social values as 'the structure of socio-economic relations should be so planned that they result not only in appreciable increases in national income and employment but also, in greater equality in incomes and wealth. It sought to enlarge the income of the rural population and to achieve self-reliance in agriculture and industry. Consequently new small industrial units in the district were established, besides increased facilities for sanitation, transport and health services with special emphasis on improving the conditions of the backward classes and grant of subsidies to them for starting cottage industries

Removal of poverty and attainment of economic self-reliance have been defined to be the two basic objectives of the Fifth Five-year Plan; and expansion of employment opportunities has to receive the highest priority.

The Plan programmes of the district are an integral part of the State Plan and they broadly reflect the same priorities and compulsion. Without going into details, it may be observed that the implementation of various development plan schemes has helped in appreciable growth in agricultural production, power generation and consumption, industrial development, irrigation and road transport. The planned efforts have also resulted in raising the standard of living, providing better wages and living conditions all round and helping the general economic growth of the district . People have adopted improved methods of cultivation and the good old wooden ploughs are seldom seen in the district, specially in the areas covered by the Pilot Development project. Young agriculturists coming to markets in the evenings, dressed in pants and bush-shirts present a complete contrast to the old Kisan in loin-cloth and baniyan.