ECONOMIC TRENDS
Livelihood Pattern
Workers and Non-workers :-
In 1961
the percentage of workers and non-workers in the district was 32.4 and 67.6, the
corresponding figures for the state being 39.1 and 60.9 respectively, of the total workers
in the district, cultivators and agricultural labourers comprised 75.8 per cent. Next come
`other services' , claiming 9.9 per cent followed by household industry and other
manufacturing concerns with 8.3 per cent, and trade and commerce 4.1 percent . In other
categories the number is small, all together accounting for 1.9 per cent. The extent of female participation in work
was 4.4 per cent. against 6.7 percent of the state. The corresponding percentage in
agricultural activities was higher than in non-agricultural activties being 53.8 and 46.2
respectively.
The total rural population, 10,93,735 of the
district in 1961 comprised 32.6 per cent workers and the remaining non-workers,The
corresponding percentages for the urban population were 29.9 and 70.1 respectively. Thus the proportion of workers was lower in towns
than in villagers of the total 3,56,373 workers in the rural areas in 1961,
| Year | Total Population | Total Workers | Percentage of workers to total population | |||
| Agricultural workers | Non-agricultural workers | District | U.P. | |||
| 1961 | 11,80,894 | 3,82,420 | 24.5 | 7.9 | 32.4 | 39.1 |
| 1971 | 14,45,534 | 4,01,413 | 22.7 | 5.0 | 27.7 | 30.9 |
At first sight, the figures indicate a substantial decrease in the working
population reflecting unemployment even amongst the already employed persons of 1961. This
anamoly has cropped up due to a change in the
definition of `worker' in 1971. The use of
term `worker' was so comprehensive at the 1961 census that a person doing as little as one
hour's work in a day was to be treated as a worker, Accordingly, a woman, who mostly
attended to household duties was classified as worker if she even took food to the field tended the cattle of
did some such other work, in the census of 1971 a man or woman who was engaged permanently
in household duties such as cooking for his or her own household, whether such a person
helped it the family's economic activities as a part-time worker; was not treated as
worker but categorized as a non-worker, This explains the sudden decline in the
percentages of workers in 1971.
At the 1971 census workers were classified into nine major categories, the basis of
the classification being those economic activities, which were similar in respect of
process, raw materials and products, The details of
| Number and name | Male | Female | Total | percentage to total workers | percentage to total population | |
| I | Cultivators | 2,80,595 | 2,078 | 2,82,673 | 70.4 | 19.5 |
| II | Agricultural Labourers | 45,289 | 719 | 46,008 | 11.4 | 3.2 |
| III | Live-stock, forestry, fishing, hunting, plantations, orchards and allied activities | 1,520 | 59 | 1,579 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| IV | Mining and quarrying | 43 | - | 43 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| V | Manufacturing, processing, servicing and repairs: | |||||
| (a) Household industry | 11,282 | 768 | 12,050 | 3.01 | 0.8 | |
| (b) Other than household industry | 8,606 | 43 | 8,649 | 2.1 | 0.6 | |
| VI | Construction | 1,946 | 13 | 1,959 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| VII | Trade and commerce | 14,249 | 164 | 14,413 | 3.6 | 0.9 |
| VIII | Transport, storage and communications | 4,014 | 34 | 4,048 | 1.1 | 0.3 |
| IX | Other services | 28,528 | 1463 | 29,991 | 7.5 | 2.1 |
| Total workers Non-workers Total population |
3,96,072 3,92,363 7,88,435 |
5,341 6,51,758 6,57,099 |
4,01,413 10,44,121 14,45,534 |
100.0 - - |
27.7 2.3 7 |
As will be observed all the non-workers have been grouped together in one single class though they were classified at
the census in to the following categories :
(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
Prices:-
No records of prices are extant in the district for the years prior to 1840 but it
is probable that they did not differ materially from those obtaining in the neighboring
districts of Etah and Farrukhabad in which during the first half of the nineteenth century wheat sold at an average rate of about 35 seers per rupee, barley at 50 seers and jowar
at 47 seers a rupee with slight variations on either side . Between 1859 and 1871 however,
a remarkable change took place. The average [price of wheat rose by 53 per cent , that of
barley by 49 per cent. of jowar by 39 percent with an around increase of 47 per cent, This
hike was part of a general price movement experienced throughout the country an presumably
triggered by the expansion of markets, development of
communications and introduction of rapid means of transport, The drought of 1878-69
caused little suffering in the district though
the prices remained high due to large-scale export of grain to the central parts of the
country. The average rates between February 1869 and March 1870 were 12 seers per rupee
for wheat, 16 seers for barley, 17 seers for
bajra and 10 seers for ordinary rice. excluding
the scarcity period, the average market rate between 1870-74 stabilized in the
neighborhood of 20 seers to a rupee. The prices thereafter, again recorded a change and by
1900 become almost steady at about 1911 normal prices for the district were recorded to be
12.5 seers per rupee for wheat, 8.5 seers for rice, 14 seers for both gram and dal arhar.
With the out break of the First World War in 1914 prices fluctuated vigorously and
a considerable rise in the cost of food grains was witnessed in the succeeding years. In
comparison to the price level of 1911 in the district goods value rose by 21 percent
higher in 1916 and 60 percent more on 1928.
The world-wide economic depression of
1930 caused the prices to decline from January
, 1930 in the district and they came down to 13 seers per rupee for wheat, 16 seers for
barley and 11.5 seers for gram in September of the year
as compared to 7.25 seers, 8.75 seers and 7.00 seers for wheat, barley and gram respectively in October,
1929. The depression continued with greater severity in the years that followed, The
average rates in the revenue year 1930-31 further
fell to 17.69 seers per rupee, 25.06 seers, 18.00 seers 12.12 seers and 12.49 seers for wheat, barley, gram dal arhar and rice
respectively. The price level in 1934 shrunk by about 44 percent and 25 per cent as
compared to those of 1928 and 1916 respectively.
The price level in 1934 shrunk by about 44 per cent and 25 per cent as compared
to those of 1928 and 1916 respectively. Generally in
the state the effects of depression
lasted till the end of 1936, but in the district the agricultural depression continued
till October 1938. During the period from
1931 to October, 1938 the rates of wheat, gram rice and dal arhar ranged from 11 to 15
seers, 12 to 15 seers, 8 to 12 seers and 9 to 12 seers respectively per rupee. The prices
were then beginning to show a tendency to stabilise when the second World War broke out in
September, 1939 and prices soared during the close of the year, registering a rise of
nearly 43 per cent over those prevalent in 1934. In the following year there was a
sharp 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 the maintenance and even to the scaling up of the high level reached in prices.
The annual average prices during the war period registered the following rising trend.
| Year | Annual average rates in seers per Rupee | |||
| Wheat | Gram | Rice | Dal Arhar | |
| 1940-41 | 11.00 | 14.25 | 8.49 | 10.50 |
| 1941-42 | 7.00 | 9.06 | 4.56 | 6.81 |
| 1942-43 | 4.12 | 4.94 | 3.56 | 3.31 |
In March 1942 price control measures
were put into operation, by the district authorities and a district advisory committee was
formed to discuss ways and means to ease the situation. This had no effect in lowering the
prices and in August, 1943 prices touched the highest level reached till then, Wheat was
sold at 2.14 seers per rupee. The price
control measures were then vigorously enforced which included fixation of prices (as
modified from time to time). institution of prosecutions to check profiteering and
licensing of the food-grains trade. Even then the prices continued to go up and they registered a rise of about 181 per cent over those
of 1939. It was realised that effective control of prices was not possible without a
corresponding check on supplies. Hence during 1943-1952 different rationing systems- partial rationing, hundred per
cent rationing and total rationing – at different periods were witnessed by the towns
of Shikohabad and Mainpuri. In February, 1949 wheat was sold at 1.5 seer to a rupee and
there was total rationing only in the town
of Shikohabad .All rationing systems were withdrawn, throughout the state from the middle
of 1952 but food-grains to ration card holders, however, continued to be issued by
licensed shops. 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 foxed minimum price for his produce nor the trader was
assured of his commission. This uncertainty
led to a further decline in prices. By 1955 the prices fell by about 23 per cent for
wheat, 39 per cent for gram 12 per cent for
rice and 26 per cent for arhar dal as compared to those prevailing in 1950 This was a
countrywide trend which require to be checked to stabilise the economy and sustain the
growth of agriculture. The government, there fore, took measures in 1953-54 to support
agricultural prices, and the result were conducive to production. The prices in 1950 and
1955 were as follows :
| Year | Price (per kg. ) in Rs. | |||
| Wheat | Gram | Rice | Arhar Dal | |
| 1950 | 0.43 | 0.36 | 0.61 | 0.50 |
| 1955 | 0.33 | 0.22 | 0.54 | 0.37 |
Thereafter the prices showed an upward trend till 1965 .Drought condition in 1967
and crop failure in 1969 enhanced the prices to an extent of 50 to 60 per cent over those prevailing in 1965 . The
damage caused to successive crops of kharif and rabi by the dry spell and frost which
raged in 1974 brought about 95 per cent rise
in the price level , The average yearly retail prices for certain years from 1960 to 1974
are give in the following statement :
| Year | Approximate average yearly retail prices in Rs, per kg. | |||
| Wheat | Gram | Rice | Dal Arhar | |
| 1960 | 0.44 | 0.41 | 0.60 | 0.60 |
| 1965 | 0,81 | 0.75 | 0.84 | 0.84 |
| 1970 | 0.98 | 0.94 | 1.20 | 1.70 |
| 1974 | 1.71 | 2.11 | 1.99 | 3.00 |
The retail prices in the headquarters town for certain commodities in 1970 and 1974
were as follows :
| Commodity | Price in Rs. per kg. | |
| 1970 | 1974 | |
| Gur | 0.74 | 1.55 |
| Sugar | 1.83 | 4.49 |
| Mustard Oil | 4.99 | 8.27 |
| Ghee | 11.25 | 18.90 |
| Fire Wood | 0.12 | 0.22 |
| Kerosene(per litter) | 0.65 | 1.21 |
Wages
:-
The general rise in the level of the prices of agricultural produce has induced a
pronouncedly upward trend in the level of wages. Thus a casual labour in 1866 got
Re. 0.12 and a skilled labourer about Re. 0.35 for
a day's work, but they received double those
amounts about the year 1910 , Even at these
higher wages it was difficult to hire people in requisite numbers with the result that the
new railway track between Shikohabad and Farrukhabad had to be laid largely with imported
labour.
The first wage census was carried out in the state in 1906 . The results of the
survey of wages made at that time and in succeeding years are tabulated below :
| Year | Wages (in per day) | |
| Unskilled labour | Skilled labour | |
| 1906 | 0.16 | 0.31 |
| 1911 | 0.18 | 0.37 |
| 1916 | 0.19 | 0.45 |
| 1928 | 0.31 | 0.75 |
| 1934 | 0.19 | 0.55 |
| 1939 | 0.22 | 0.53 |
| 1944 | 0.84 | 1.62 |
After the first World war general rise in the wages occurred as was revealed by the wage census of 1928 the year 1930 was one
of world wide economic depression which was reflected in the census of 1934 There after
wages began began to mount. The steep rise in 1944 was attributed too the out break of the second World War in 1939
. The The wages moved for an adjustment, but there was no coming down and they continued
to go upwards as would appear
| Year | Wages (in Rs. Per Day) | |
| Unskilled Labour | Skilled Labour | |
| 1955 | 1.50 | 3.00 |
| 1960 | 1.64 | 3.50 |
| 1965 | 2.50 | 5.00 |
| 1970 | 3.70 | 5.60 |
| 1974 | 5.80 | 11.45 |
In 1974 wages for various agricultural operations e.g. weeding, reaping, ploughing etc., were about Rs, 4.75 per day of eight working hours.
The approximate average wages paid to the workers at the district headpuarters in the middle of 1975 for certain
occupations were as follows:
| Occupation | Unit of quotation | Wages (in Rs.) |
| chowkidars | Per month | 120.00 |
| Wood-cutter | per 40 kg. wood turned into fuel | 1.00 |
| Herdsman | per cattle per month | 6.00 |
| Casual labourer | per day | 6.00 |
| Domestic servant | per month with food | 40.00 |
| Carpenter | Per day | 12.00 |
| Midwife | (a) For a boy | 20.00 |
| (b) For a girl | 15.00 | |
Barber |
(a) Per shave | 0.30 |
(b) Per hair cut |
1.00 |
|
| Scavenger | Per month For a house with one latrine for one cleaning per day |
4.00 |
| Motor driver | Per month |
300.00 |
| Truck driver | Per month |
300.00 |
GENERAL LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT
Employment Trends :- The statement given below shows that
there has been
a considerable increase in the number of persons employed in the public sector though in the private sector there has been
an erratic trend during the years 1970 -74 The data relate only to a few selected
establishment which were subjected to the inquiry conducted by the employment exchange
authorities :
| Year | No. of establishments | No. of employees | ||||
| Private Sector | Public Sector | Total | Private Sector | Public Sector | Total | |
| 1970 | 111 | 93 | 204 | 5,849 | 11,792 | 17,641 |
| 1971 | 108 | 96 | 204 | 6,108 | 11,818 | 17,926 |
| 1972 | 112 | 104 | 216 | 5,364 | 13,370 | 18,734 |
| 1973 | 117 | 112 | 229 | 6,256 | 13,813 | 20,069 |
| 1974 | 114 | 111 | 225 | 5,567 | 13,446 | 19,013 |
The number of persons relating to the last two years, in the foregoing statement, may be
further classified according to work categories in the following manner :
| Nature Lease of activity | No. of reporting establishments | No. of Employees | ||||||
| 1973 | 1974 | |||||||
| 1973 | 1974 | Private Sector | Public Sector | Total | Private Sector | Public Sector | Total | |
| Agriculture live stock hunting and fishing | 3 | 3 | - | 604 | 604 | - | 603 | 603 |
| Manufacturing | 35 | 35 | 2,593 | - | 3,593 | 2,838 | - | 2,838 |
| Construction | 11 | 10 | 5 | 1,268 | 1,273 | - | 1,294 | 1,294 |
| Electricity , gas water and sanitary services | 6 | 5 | 81 | 1,091 | 1,172 | 866 | 862 | 1,728 |
| Trade and commerce | 18 | 20 | 73 | 295 | 368 | 81 | 388 | 469 |
| Transport storage and communication | 8 | 8 | 105 | - | 105 | 111 | - | 111 |
| Services (public,legal, medical , etc.) | 146 | 146 | 2,389 | 10,555 | 12,944 | 2,551 | 10,399 | 12,850 |
Employment of Women :-
The extent of employment of women workers in 1974 is indicated by the following
statement showing their number in the private and public sectors :
| Items | No. on December 1974 |
| Number of reporting establishment | 225 |
| Number of women employees in public sector | 1,011 |
| Number of women employees in privet sector | 170 |
| Total Number of women employees | 1,181 |
| Percentage
of women employees in private sector to total
employees in that sector |
3.05 |
| Percentage of women employees in public sector | 7.52 |
The proportion of
women workers in different spheres in quarter ending December , 1974 was as follows :
| Sphere | Percentage |
| Education | 71.46 |
| Medical and Public Health | 24.30 |
| Manufacturing | 00.92 |
| Construction | 00.17 |
| Trade and commerce | 00.08 |
| Service, etc. | 3.06 |
Unemployment
Trends:-
Educational
standards of men and women who registered for employment during the year ending December
1974 were as follows :
| Educational Standard | Men | Women | Total |
| Post-graduate | 70 | 3 | 82 |
| Graduate | 750 | 19 | 769 |
| Intermediate | 2,717 | 33 | 2,750 |
| Matriculate | 1,982 | 68 | 2,050 |
| Below Matriculate | 1,853 | 113 | 1,966 |
| Illiterate | 163 | 40 | 203 |
During the quarter ending December 1974 the district employment exchange was required to recommend candidates for 61 posts, the central Government needed 7 candidates, State Government 27, quasi-government (Central) undertakings 1, local bodies 14 and the private sector-12.
The district experienced shortage of typists and stenographers (Hindi and English) and
qualified compounders. There was a surplus of persons having educational qualifications up
to graduation, trained B.T.C. teachers and technicians with I.T.I. certificates but with
no previous experience to their credit.
Employment
Exchange :-
A sub-employment exchange was established in the district in 1955 , to provide job assistance to the unemployed and the employers of the district In 1960. It was up-graded to a full-fledged employment exchange. The following statement gives an idea of the assistance rendered by the employment exchange during 1970 to 1974:
| Year | Vacancies Notified by Employers | No. of persons Registered for employment | No. on 'Live Register' | No. of person provided with Employment |
| 1970 | 1,452 | 8,143 | 4,195 | 751 |
| 1971 | 855 | 7,750 | 5,111 | 518 |
| 1972 | 1,058 | 9,307 | 8,476 | 992 |
| 1973 | 1,183 | 9,448 | 7,217 | 11,203 |
| 1974 | 518 | 7,463 | 7,617 | 437 |
The employment
market information scheme has also been functioning in the exchange since 1962. Under this
scheme an intensive study is carried out to ascertain the number of persons employed,
vacancies created, and the types of jobs for which qualified candidates were not available
and other allied information in public undertakings and some selected and some selected
private enterprises.
NATIONAL PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Gradually, it was expanded and a rural development association was formed at the district
level. The functions of the association, having a non-official as chairman and a sub divisional magistrate as secretary, were
more or less advisory in nature. They covered rural hygiene, construction of roads,
establishment of libraries, construction of panchayat
ghars (houses), holding of night educational classes for adults and allied developmental activities. With the peoples government going out
of office in 1939 the rural development programme suffered heavily , In 1946 the rural
development department was merged with the
co-operative department and the rural development association was replaced by the district
development association with a non-official as its chairman and the district co-operative
officer as its secretary, 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 sub-committees for the preparation
and execution of Five-Year plan schemes and
projects. Its role, however,continued to be advisory.
The development blocks, were the unit of operation in to which the district was
divided for the implementation of the plan programmes of each department.
The first Five year
Plan started functioning from April 1951, with the main objective of raising the standard
of living of the people and opening out to them opportunities of a wider and more varied
life. It was largely a collection of departmental programmes. In the wake of the problems
created by partition, emphasis was aid 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 for buildings and villages roads, digging of soakage
pits, etc., was done by voluntary labour
(shramdan) . Improved methods of agriculture and use of compost were also introduced.
Tube-wells and other means of irrigation were augmented.
Sultanganj in tahsil
Bhongaon was the first community development block of the district opened in October, 1952
, followed by Madanpur in January 1955 and Eka in January 1956.
The scope of the
Second Five-year Plan (1956-61) was enlarged to include indrstrialesation with stress on
the development of heavy industries and on the enlargement of the scope of 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, chemicals and green manure's were taken up. the whole district
was divided into 14 development blocks for implementation of the plan schemes.
In 1958 the Antarim
Zila Parishad, which was the percursor of the present Zila Parishad. was formed by
amalgamating the district planning committee and the district board. For the co-ordinated
execution of the different plan schemes, the re-sources of the agriculture, co-operative, animal husbandry, panchayat raj and
some other departments like health and plant
protection, called the plan 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 implementation of the planning and
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-generating economy'. It sought to ensure
a minimum level of living to every
family while narrowing economic and social disparities programmes such as the sowing of improved varieties of seeds,
particularly those of the dwarf variety,
intensive method of wheat and paddy cultivation and crop protection
The next three years from April, 1966 to March, 1969 did not form part of the next Five-years plan Yearly plans for these
three years were, therefore, formulated with
the following broad objectives:
(1) Bringing about growth rate of 5 per cent in the agricultural sector and 8 to 10 per cent in industry.
(2) Sector and Inducing an annual growth rate of 6.9 per cent in
production of food-grains to achieve
(3) Maximizing employment opportunities.
(4) Redressing imbalances arising from high rate of population growth and the
The Fourth Five-year
Plan (1969-74) defined more precisely the wider and
deeper social values as ` that the structure of socio-economic relations should be so planned that the result not only in
appreciable increases in national 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
arranging for 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 small crafts. 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 also been given the highest
priority.
The Plan programmes
of the district are an integral part of the state plan and they broadly reflect the same priorities.
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.