A Study of Bidar District Industrial Economy in Closed Economy (1980-1990)
Abstract
The Main purpose of this study is to examine the industrial economy of Bidar, which was considered a "NO Industry District" in 1980 in the northern part of Karnataka, which is a part of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. It is very important to note that the formation of the Bidar district in 1956 by the State Reorganization Committee (SRC) formed the state of Mysore (currently called Karnataka), which was under the provenance of the Nizam of Hyderabad. This later created the Karnataka state by the SRC based on the Kannada-speaking language. The Bidar district is a drought-prone area. However, after two and a half decades of independence Bidar is still very much backward in terms of industries. Hence, it is regarded as an industrially backward district. A large number of people are engaged in agricultural activities. The study of the Bidar district mainly concentrates on agro-based industries and agriculture and also analyses various economic variables such as population, agriculture and cropping pattern, irrigation process, occupational structure, communication and transport, socio-economic background of the district, and development of industries and infrastructure in the Bidar district from 1980 to 1990.This includes the socio-economic, political, and cultural aspects of the region. The above variables are discussed in detail below.
Full Text
Methodology: Survey, Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation
Area of study:
"The population of the district as per the 1991 census was about 12, 56,060, of which 6,43,192 were males and 6,12,606 were females"[1]. "The Decennial growth rate of population of Bidar district totally was 25.78%, of which rural area had 23.22 % & 37.56% of urban area"[2]. "According to the 1991census, the Literacy rate was about 45.11% in (1991) of which (1991)58.97% were males and 30.53% were females"[3]. The unemployment rate for the year (1981) was 26.4% in (1981), of which 38.2% were males and 14.3% were females. Agricultural land is the most important economic resource in the Bidar district. Approximately 85% of the total geographical area is plowed. Dry farming is the mainstay of this agricultural economy. When the Karanja project is completed, it will irrigate lands belonging to Bidar. At present, 50 small tanks and thousands of wells are the main irrigation sources. Agricultural land in the district largely depends on rain and weather conditions, which are scanty and erotic, and a large part of the area is recognized as a drought-prone area. However, groundwater is considerable, and agricultural prosperity depends on the systematic exploitation of this resource. "At present, 15.72% of the total net area sown in the region has irrigation facilities from various sources like canals, wells, and tanks. This means that 84.28% of the total area sown depends on rainfall. The Irrigation facilities through source wise in Bidar district from 1981 to 1991 included approximately 138 canals, 932 tanks, 26874 wells, tube wells, and the total net area sown in the district was approximately 8.87 %"(1).
Cropping pattern:
The Cropping pattern of the Bidar district includes food and non-food crops. Food crops accounts for 3/4th of the cultivated area, with jowar, wheat, Bengal form, and tur being the most important food crops grown in the district. Wheat is generally grown under irrigated conditions, and the rest is mainly rain-fed. Non-food crops are major crops such as sugarcane, groundnuts, and sunflowers. They account for a little more than 1/6th of the cultivable area. Sericulture (i.e., raising of mulberry crops and production of silk worm cocoons) was introduced in 1976 (1). So far, about a hundred families have taken up this occupation. "From 1993-1994 the cropping pattern of Bidar districts is famous for sugar cane cultivation and contributed about 10% to the total sugar production in the state (Karnataka" (2).The rain-fed crops are jowar, bajra, and millets, and jowar is the staple food of the region. It is grown evenly in all the districts of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region of the northern part of Karnataka state.
Occupational structure:
"The main occupational structure of the people as workers in industries and laborers in agriculture can be understood as explanation given below as follows: the percentage of total workers, main workers, and marginal workers to the total population of the Bidar district. According to the 1991 census, there were about 120.14% of total workers, 111.08% of main workers & about8.06% of marginalized workers in the district. The rural-wise populations of the districts of which 129.68% are total workers, 120.01% are main workers, and 9.71% are marginalized workers out of a total population. And District wise population According to the 1981 census, approximately 97.38% of the population is under cultivation, approximately 156.7% of agricultural laborers are engaged, approximately 6.4% of household industries are given employment to laborers, and 39.22% are other workers who are employed. According to the 1991 census, approximately 94.3% of the population is under cultivation; approximately 161.28% of agriculture-laborers, approximately 5.87% of household industry laborers, and 38.94% of other workers were employed in the Bidar district". In terms of road and rail communication, the district is somewhat backward. "The total length of the railway line passing through the districts is only 79 km of distance in length and the total road length under the maintenance of the public works departments is about 1444 km & this includes 796 kms of village roads and only 75 km length of national highway" (1).
Pre-reform phase study findings from to 1980-1990:
The industries of Bidar from 1980-1990 which are discussed below in detail. Its economy is dominated by agriculture, and it has a low industrial base. Bidar was classified as a "No Industry District" in 1980[4]. To extend concessional packages for the development of industries. The mineral base of the districts is quite small, where laterite stone is the only important mineral available in the district. The occupational structure indicates a concentration of workers in the agricultural sector. Approximately 62.38% of the main workers are engaged in agriculture. The proportion of agricultural laborers is 37.5%, and 35.10% of the workers are employed in the tertiary sector, which has been growing at a fast rate in recent years. Agriculture contributes to 40% of the district income by producing food crops, such as jowar, red gram, sunflower, and sugar cane, as the commercial crops produced in the districts. Agricultural productivity is low due to day land cultivation. The livelihood pattern of the people is nearly at a subsistence level. Nearly 39% of the population lives below the poverty line. Sugar production is a flourishing industry in Karnataka, with the state having the 23rdposition in production of sugar production. The Bidar sugar industry is known as Bidar Sahakara Sakkare Karkhane Ltd.. Bidar.
Industrially Bidar is one of the backward districts of the Karnataka state. There are no large-scale or medium-scale industries of any kind. Sugar production is a flourishing industry in Karnataka, with the state having 23rd sugar function. Bidar includes Industry Bidar Sahakara Sakakkare Karkhane ltd. bidar, According to 1980-1982 record; overall production of sugar (in tones) in Karnataka was 3.48 lakh tones (1980-81) and 5.48 lakh tones (1981-82). A cooperative sugar mill has been functioning for approximately a decade. This has induced more cultivators to take up sugarcane cultivation, besides providing seasonal employment to laborers. There were also a few akhandasari units and distilleries, as well as small-scale manufacturing units, such as those engaged in the production of edible oil, dal, agricultural tools, and its implements and cut sizes of timber in rural areas. In contrast, urban areas have a few engineering and repair workshops.
Some information about industrialization and recent trends may be obtained from the following information (1):
- In 1977-78, the total number of registered factories was 48, and the number of employers was only 1970.
- In 1980-81, the total number of factories rose to 84 & the no. of workers increased to 2678
In the background of Bidar being declared a "no industry district," efforts began to industrialize it. Incentives were provided to the district by the central and state governments. This began attracting entrepreneurs to the district. Few chemical manufacturing units were established in the district near the Poona-Hyderabad national highway, which passes through the district at Humnabad. Some agro-processing industrial units, such as dal, oil, and rice mills, were found in Bidar.
Conclusion:
Industrial backwardness is attributed to the poor state of the region's socio-economic infrastructure. These districts of Karnataka lag behind in terms of infrastructure development, such as transport, communication, irrigation, credit health, and education. This district has been the most backward since the time of the new Mysore state at the time of its transfer from the erstwhile Hyderabad state in 1956 (fact-finding committee report 1954). Unfortunately, it has remained backward for the last four decades. "Infrastructure facilities from 1992-93 in the Bidar districts includes: 305 post offices,45.11% of literacy rates, 931 primary schools, 35 health care centre's, 5 veterinary hospitals, 2 urban co-operative banks and 55 commercial banks were established"[5].
Bidar is also noted for its District Industrial Centre (DIC) consisted following number of Industries which were permanently registered unit since inception of District Industrial Centre (DIC), but we are studying for the decade 1980-1990(8). Which includes the total number Of identified industries of Bidar district which were about 307 agro-food industries, 38 glass & ceramics industries, 101 chemical & plastics industries, 13 paper & paper products industries, 57 textiles industries, 176 leather and rubber industries, 191 mechanical and engineering industries, and 121 servicing industries, 51 miscellaneous industries and 18 Bidri craft industries were there. In total, approximately 1173 industries were registered for the decade 1980-1990 in the DIC.
2 Bhatt, S. C. (Ed.). (1997). The Encyclopedic District Gazetteers of India: Southern Zone (Vol. 1 page no. 462). New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House.
3 Karnataka at a glance, (1987-88 & 1992-1993).Directorate of Economics and Statistics (Page no. 43 & 61). Government of Karnataka, Bangalore
4 Census of India (1991), Series of Karnataka: provisional, total (Paper - 1 of 1991, page- 135, table-6)"
6 Karnataka at a Glance, (1992-93). Computed from Karnataka at a Glance: Directorate of Economics and Statistics. Bangalore: Government of Karnataka.