In order to create better living conditions in the urban as well as in the rural areas, various housing schemes such as constr

Wages

Wages are the remunerations paid to a worker in lieu of work done by him. The wages level over a period of time had undergone somewhat similar fluctuations as the price level. Variations in prices on account of fiscal policies and other factors such as the rise in demand, storage of goods, insufficient production, etc. generally influence the wage level. In the early days especially in the agricultural sector wages were determined by the customs and traditions. The agricultural labourers and artisans were generally paid in kind sometimes for some special work in cash. But with the passage of time the payment of wages in cash has become more and more prevalent, especially in the case of industrial and other non-agricultural labourerers. Wages has shown a rising trend since Independence. In order to safeguard the interests of the workers the Government has fixed the minimum wages of industrial workers under the Minimum Wages Act.

The rates of wages fixed for Class IV government employees working in different offices in the Faridkot District, during 1992-93 are given in Appendix I on pages 328 to 330.

Standard of Living– Economic prosperity of a region mainly depends upon the social set up of that area along with the social infrastructure. The standard of living of the people of any particular area is an indicator of their economic prosperity. Another method to judge the standard of living of the people is to survey the income and expenditure of various people engaged in different occupations. The size and composition of the family, its tastes and preferences also determines the standard of living.

The Economic and Statistical Organisation, Punjab, conducted a survey during 1991-92 regarding family budgets of selected cultivators in the State with bullock-operated holdings as well as tractor-operated holdings. During the survey, family budgets of 46 peasant proprietor’s having, bullock-operated holdings and 45 peasant proprietors having tractor-operated holdings were studied. The aim of the survey was to find out the returns accruing to the cultivators and to find out the extent to which the goods consumed were produced in the farm or purchased from outside. The families of three villages (bullock-operated) viz. Sandhwan (tahsil Faridkot), Phulewala (tahsil Muktsar) and Wadha Ghar (tahsil Moga) in Faridkot District were selected for survey.

The findings of the bullock-operated cultivator’s survey pertaining to income and expenditure are shown in the following table: -

Name of the family/Village	Net income from all sources (Rs)	Net expenditure (Rs)	Surplus/ Deficit (Rs)
Sandhwan	1,19,876	53,452	+66,424
Phulewala	78,621	46,351	+32,270
Wadha Ghar	54,296	41,922	+12,374

(Source: Economic Advisor to Government, Punjab, Chandigarh)

The above figures that the families of the three villages viz. Sandhwan, Phulewala and Wadha Ghar had surplus budget. The survey also revealed that on an average, a peasant proprietor’s family in the Punjab spent 50 per cent of its income on food, 15 per cent of housing, 9 per cent on clothing and remaining 26 per cent was spent on fuel, lighting , medicine, travelling, education, religious and social functions and amusements, etc.

During 1991-92 the families of three villages (tractor-operated) viz. Kamiana (tahsil Faridkot), Nathoke (tahsil Moga) and Ghumiara (tahsil Muktsar) in the Faridkot District were selected for the survey.

The findings of the tractor-operated cultivator’s survey pertaining to income and expenditure are shown in the table given below:

Name of the family/village	Net income from all sources (Rs)	Net Expenditure (Rs)	Surplus/ Deficit (Rs)
Kamiana	72,095	50,877	+2,12,218
Nathoke	2,20,456	77,400	+1,43,056
Ghumiara	2,63,566	50,033	+2,18,533

(Source: Economic Advisor to Government, Punjab, Chandigarh)

The above figures shows that the families of all the three villages has surplus budget. The survey also revealed that on an average, a peasant proprietor’s family in the Punjab spent 54 per cent of its income on food, 18 per cent on housing, 8 per cent on clothing and the remaining 20 per cent was spent on fuel, lighting, travelling, medicine, education, religious, social functions and amusements, etc.

Per capita income of a particular district is also an indicator of the standard of living of the people residing in the district. The income per head in the district at the then current prices for the year 1992-93 was Rs 11,338 as compared to table below shows the district-wise per capita income for the year 1992-93 at the then prevailing prices:

District	Per capita income (Rs)
Gurdaspur	8,695
Amritsar	10,635
Kapurthala	11,926
Jalandhar	10,580
Hoshiarpur	9,065
Rupnagar	10,649
Ludhiana	12,519
Firozpur	11,708
Faridkot	11,388
Bathinda	11,285
Mansa	11,033
Sangrur	12,499
Patiala	11,719
Fatehgarh Sahib	13,102
Punjab State	11,106

(Source: Economic Advisor to Government, Punjab, Chandigarh)

The district ranked 7^th in the State in terms of per capita income during 1992-93.

(b) Employment Situation

A large number of inhabitants of the Faridkot District are engaged in agricultural pursuits as it is predominantly agricultural. According to the 1991 Census, 68.37 per cent of the total working force is engaged in agricultural and its related pursuits. Although the development in agriculture and its allied occupations increased the employment opportunities, yet it cannot provide full time employment. Agriculture being a seasonal occupation, unemployment in this sector remains hidden in the form of under-employment. The main consideration of the Government is full utilization of manpower resources which can only be achieved after proper development of agriculture and industry. Various employment oriented programmes have been undertaken by the Government since Independence. A number of large and medium-scale industries such as Suraj Textiles Mills, Malaut, the Mot Kapura Co-operative spinning Mills Ltd., Kot Kapura and Nestle at Moga have helped to increase employment opportunities for the labourers. Even then, the number of unemployed persons registered with the employment exchange has been on the increase.

The number of persons waiting for employment in the district as on 31 March 1993 was 90,430 as compared to 61,971 in 1985-86. A total number of 18,230 persons got themselves registered for employment in the employment exchanges during 1992-93 whereas 589 persons were given employment during the same year by the employment exchanges of the district.

Employment Exchanges– For the maximum utilization of manpower resources and to avoid frictional unemployment, employment exchanges have been started at various places in the district. The main functions of an employment exchange are: to register applicants and to provide employment assistance; to impart vocational guidance to the youth and adults to choose a better career; to elicit employment market information to assess the employment tends, impact of Government plans on the employment situations and to collect employment statistics for the planning Commission of India. For this purpose District Employment Exchange, Faridkot was established in the district in 1972. The town Employment Exchanges at Moga and Muktsar were opened in 1959 and 1972 respectively. The work done by the district Employment Exchanges at Moga and Muktsar were opened in 1959 and 1972 respectively. The work done by the District Employment Exchange, Faridkot and Town employment exchanges at Moga and Muktsar is shown in Appendices II to IV on pages 331 to 333.

Employment Market Information Scheme– The Scheme to tackle the unemployment problem from below i.e. the district level, the Employment Market Information Scheme was introduced at the State Level in all the districts under Second Five-Year Plan (in 1957-58) under the guidance of the Director of Employment, Punjab, Chandigarh, Initially it covered only the public sector, but from 1960-61, it was also extended to the private sector.

The main aim of the scheme is to watch the trends of employment in the State so as to make available to the Government and to the Planning Commission, information on the periodical expansion and contraction of employment in various industries and occupations in each district and in the State as a whole. The information thus collected is also location of certain training institutes and the trades to be taught therein. It enables the Government to assess the impact of development plans on employment.

The district employment exchange is responsible for collecting regular information about the employment situation in private as well as in public sectors. This is done by what is known as `Establishment Reporting System`. Under this scheme all establishments in the Public Sector and selected establishments in the private Sector engaged in non-agricultural activities are asked to give details regularly about the number of persons they are employing, the vacancies that have occurred and the type of persons they find to be in short supply. The information is collected from establishments in the public sector and those employing 25 or more persons in the private sector under the provisions of the Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959 which makes it obligatory on them to submit it to the local employment exchange. Information from smaller establishments in the private sector is, however, collected on voluntary basis. An Employment Market Unit in the Employment Exchange, Faridkot has been functioning since 1972. Changes in the volume of employment both in the private and public sectors in the district as on 31 December 1988 to 31 December 1992 has been given in Appendix V at page 334.

Vocational Guidance Scheme – The aim of the scheme is to provide intensive vocational guidance to those who seek such assistance. The programme is jointly operated by Union by Union Ministry of Labour and Employment through the Directorate General of Employment and Training and Directorate of Employment n the State. The Ministry of Labour and Employment through the Directorate of Employment Exchange is responsible for the general policies and procedure which are devised in collaboration with the State Government through the National Working Group of the Employment Service. The State Directorate of Employment, administers the service through the employment exchanges and co-ordinate with the guidance service of the Education Department (Director, Public Instructions, Secondary) of the State Government.

The District Employment Officer Faridkot is responsible for the efficient working and general supervision of the scheme in the district. The functions of a Vocational guidance and employment counselling to youth (boys and girls) and adults (men and women) in groups as sell as individually; to assist in the placement of youth in institutions or training centers or in entry jobs; follow up and review the progress of guided youth and adults; to review the records of applicants on the live register and to give them such guidance as would lead to their early and suitable placement; to assist other sections of the exchanges in improving the quality of registration and submissions and also to assist the exchanges in the collection and compilation of up to date information, occupations, training facilities, educational courses, employment trends and employment outlook for youth and adults, available scholarships and source of financial assistance. Its other functions include maintenance of regular information for the use of applicants and visitors seeking information, maintenance of up to date library on occupation literature and educated the public by undertaking publicity measures in vocational guidance principles with a view to encouraging community consciousness. The guidance procedure at an employment exchange, with a Vocational Guidance Unit, consists of group guidance comprising invitational talks, group discussions and invitational talk-cum-group discussions according to the needs of the groups, indivisual guidance and giving information individually.

The vocational guidance unit was started in the district in 1972. Since then it has been providing guidance to the youth especially to the student community. The table given below shows the work done by the Vocational Guidance Unit, Faridkot from 1990 to 1992.

Year	Number of individuals provided group guidance	Number of individuals provided individual guidance	Number of individuals provided individual information.
1990	660	180	663
1991	691	192	790
1992	902	195	480

(Source : District Employment Officer, Faridkot)

(c) Planning and Rural Development

After the Independence, a comprehensive programme of planned economic development has been undertaken in the country for the socio-economic upliftment of the people through successive Five-year Plans. Under these plans, the State and district plans have been formulated keeping in view the concept of welfare State and implemented through the district administrative machinery, which as been expanded and strengthened from time to time for undertaking the tasks of development. For each scheme of development, there is a fixed target and estimates of expenditure have been worked out to achieve the desired social and economic goals. The planning process in India began with setting up of the Planning Commission in 1950 and the First-Five Year Plan was launched in 1951. So far Eight Five-year plans have been undertaken. The main object of all these plans have bee development of agriculture; to increase industrialization, development of infrastructural facilities, to decrease unemployment, to improve the quality of life of the people, to reduce inequalities in income and wealth and to attain growth with stability.

Rural Development– Development of the rural areas has been one of the paramount concern of the successive Five-Year Plans. Under the Community Development Programme launched in the early 1950’s a net work of basic extension and development of services was established in the villages. The object of the Community Development is to improve the whole taxture of rural life by organizing a self-generating process of change and growth. The main consideration of the authorities was the social-economic development of the people; later on realizing that the benefits of various development programmes were being mostly taken away by those better endowed in terms of land resources, programmes specially designed for the development of small and marginal farmers and the landlesws and agricultural labourers were taken up in the seventies. A brief account of these programmes is given hereunder:

Integrated Rural Development Programme– This scheme was launched on 16 1981 in the Faridkot District. Under the scheme the loans are provided for dairy, piggery, for setting up of flour mills, saw mills, repair and service shops and small business establishments. Maximum limit of loans provided under the schemes Rs 35,000. A Scheduled Castes beneficiary is provided subsidy up to Rs 6,000 and other yellow card holder is provided subsidy upto an amount of Rs 4,000 each by the District Rural Development Agency. To set up large-Scale units four or five beneficiaries are jointly provided loans through the banks, so that they can raise their income level.

The number of persons benefited, the amount of loans advanced and subsidy granted on these loans during 1980-81, 1985-86 to 1992-93 9s given below

Number of beneficiaries			Subsidy		Loan
Year	Scheduled Castes	Total	Scheduled Castes	Total	Scheduled Castes	Total
1980-81	22.65	43.76	---	44.07	---	---
1985-86	26.94	48.14	26.46	49.72	56.40	104.65
1986-87	54.66	94.72	70.36	126.01	155.41	277.31
1987-88	28.56	53.68	31.00	61.90	65.18	131.71
1988-89	29.80	52.04	39.93	69.78	89.83	157.65
1989-90	20.32	36.98	31.79	71.80	85.43	163.23
1990-91	15.31	28.81	45.34	71.09	90.44	150.21
1991-92	14.74	26.48	45.10	67.10	61.31	118.38
1992.93	13.74	26.50	54.88	91.07	93.20	197.90

(Source: Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Faridkot

Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment (TRYSEM)—this Scheme is a part of Integrated Rural Development Programme. Under this scheme, training in various trades for self-employment varying from 6 months to one year is provided to the poor youth. It provides for payment of stipend to the trainees upto Rs 500 and expenses on tool kits, raw material, etc. on completion of training, trained persons are provided loans under the Integrated Rural Development Scheme to set up their own enterprises. Under this scheme, the rural women are also provided training of making carpets. During the training period, the trainees are provided incentives of Rs 200 per month and expenses on raw material, etc. on the completion of training each trained woman is provided tool kits upto Rs 6,000 as an incentive money.

Development of Women and Children of Rural Area (DWACRA)—Development of women and children scheme is meant for the development of women and children residing in rural areas and is being run by the Central Government, United National Children Emergency Fund and the Punjab Government on equal sharing basis. Under the Scheme 10 or 15 women belonging to yellow card holders families are united together and provided an assistance of Rs 1,000 each utilize the fund for making different articles and handicrafts and can earn income by selling these articles in the market. After selling the articles the sum is deposited with the bank in the revolving fund account and after three months, profit amount, after leaving the revolving fund intact is distributed among the members., in this way women and children are assisted to earn their livelihood and get income to raise their standard of living.

APPENDIX I

Rates of pay Fixed for the Class IV Government Servants Working in the Faridkot District as on 31 March 1993

Rates of pay
S.No.	Category of labourers/ workers	Per day (Rs)	Per month (Rs)
1	2	3	4
1	Dak Munshi	41.90	1,082.80
2	Dak Runner	41.90	1,082.80
3	Waterman/Water Carrier	41.90	1,082.80
4	Safai Sewak	41.90	1,082.80
5	Chowkidar	41.90	1,082.80
6	Coolie/Porter	41.90	1,082.80
7	Chainman	41.90	1,082.80
8	Beldar	41.90	1,082.80
9	Gangman	41.90	1,082.80
10	Lampman	41.90	1,082.80
11	Aya	41.90	1,082.80
12	Sewerman	41.90	1,082.80
13	Mazdoor for Military male/female	41.90	1,082.80
14	Sewadar	41.90	1,082.80
15	Aligner	41.90	1,082.80
16	Security Guard	41.90	1,082.80
17	Poster Pasting Charger	41.90	1,082.80
18	Khalasi	42.26	1,187,80
19	Surveyer	42.26	1,187,80
20	Pump Operator	42.26	1,187,80
21	Motor and Pump Attendant	42.26	1,187,80
22	Oil Engine Driver	42.26	1,187,80
23	Assistant Photographer	42.26	1,187,80
24	Welder/Moulder	42.26	1,187,80
25	Foreman/Boatman	42.26	1,187,80
26	Tailor	42.26	1,187.80
27	Work Supervisor	42.26	1,187.80
28	Unskilled labour male/female
	(i) Rural	44.26	1,150.80
	(ii) Urban	45.26	1,182.80
29	Skilled Labour	53.26	1,387.80
30	Agricultural Labourer
	(i) With food	42.26	---
	(ii) Without food	46.26	---
31	Spray Mazdoor	46.26	--
32	Kitchen Servant	47.26	--
33	Oilman	48.26	1,256.80
34	Cartman driver	48.26	1,256.80
35	Survey Khalasi	48.26	1,256.80
36	Mate	48.26	1,256.80
37	Hammerman	48.26	1,256.80
38	Cane Weaver	48.26	1,256.80
39	Tent Pitcher	48.26	1,256.80
40	Barber	48.26	1,256.80
41	Dhobi	46.26	---
42	Plumber	53.26	1,387.80
43	Whitewasher	50.26	1,309.80
44	Bahishti	50.26	1,309.80
45	Cook
	(i) With food	--	1,082.80
	(ii) Without food	--	1,355.80
46	Assistant Cook
	(I) With food	---	1,082,80
	(ii) Without food	41.96	---
47	Halwai	52.26	1,354.80
48	Carpenter 1^st Class
	(i) Rural	86.26	2,225.80
	(ii) Urban	88.26	2,294.80
49	Carpenter IInd Class	59.26	1,529.80
50	Blacksmith Ist Class
	(i) Rural	86.26	2,225.80
	(ii) Urban	88.26	2,294.80
51	Blacksmith IInd class	59.26	1,529.80
52	Mason
	(i) Ist Class	68.26	1,759.80
	(ii) IInd Class	61.26	1,588.80
53	Tinsmith	44.26	1,135.80
54	Painter	68.26	1,758.80
	(i) Ist Class	68.26	1,758.80
	(ii) IInd Class	59.26	1,529.80
55	Fitter/Turner	54.26	1,410.80
56	Driver Heavy/ Light vehicle	56.80	1,450.80
57	Driver Road Roller	53.26	1,387.80
58	Patwari (Retired)	56.26	1,450.80
59	Camelman with Camel	73.26	1,903.80
60	Electrician	73.26	1,903.80
61	Hawker	41.26	1,075.80
62	Ticket Verifier	51.26	1,329.80
63	Man with Donkey (plus Rs 18 per donkey)	51.26
64	Clerk-cum-typist
	(i) Matric	48.26	1,238.80
	(ii) Graduate	52.26	1,353.80
65	Steno-typist (Punjabi/English)	49.26	1,268.80
66	Pipe Fitter	56.25	1,467.80

(Source: Deputy Commissioner, Faridkot)

APPENDIX II

Work done by District Employment Exchanges, Faridkot during the year 1980-81, 1985-86 65 to 1992-93

Year	No. of registrations during the year	No. of vacancies notified	No. of applicants placed in employment during the year	Applicants on live register at the end of the year	Monthly No. of employees using the exchange	No. of Vacancies carried over at the end of the year
1980-81	11,432	1,790	817	19,482	317	390
1985-86	14,741	1,776	892	36,140	231	208
1986-87	15,797	1,475	469	40,898	375	595
1987-88	16,985	1,337	475	42,685	395	636
1988-89	13,595	1,308	524	42,225	164	483
1989-90	13,856	726	252	46,405	131	1,206
1990-91	10,875	1,108	591	50,581	114	399
1991-92	11,434	1,164	404	53,465	122	250
1992-93	10,104	1,359	374	52,902	84	507

(Source: Deputy Commissioner, Faridkot)

APPENDIX II

Work done by Town Employment Exchanges, Moga during the year 1980-81, 1985-86 65 to 1992-93

Year	No. of registrations during the year	No. of vacancies notified	No. of applicants placed in employment during the year	Applicants on live register at the end of the year	Monthly No. of employees using the exchange	No. of Vacancies carried over at the end of the year
1980-81	4,862	1,620	447	7,720	185	105
1985-86	4,963	863	269	11,944	81	62
1986-87	5,251	15	205	12,118	60	112
1987-88	5,085	352	217	12,656	44	94
1988-89	4,757	875	242	12,756	52	145
1989-90	5,148	439	114	14,323	557	153
1990-91	3,937	322	155	17,596	29	117
1991-92	3,490	468	195	19,521	53	98
1992-93	4,118	372	199	19,153	33	191

(Source: Employment Officer, Moga)

APPENDIX II

Work done by Town Employment Exchanges, Muktsar during the year 1985-86 to 1992-93

Year	No. of registrations during the year	No. of vacancies notified	No. of applicants placed in employment during the year	Applicants on live register at the end of the year	Monthly No. of employees using the exchange	No. of Vacancies carried over at the end of the year
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1985-86	3,438	14	9	13,887	3	7
1986-87	3,627	17	12	13,872	4	11
1987-88	3,335	22	17	14,082	3	17
1988-89	3,216	20	10	14,289	2	18
1989-90	3,018	22	11	14,284	5	20
1990-91	3,267	17	12	13,844	6	21
1991-92	3,987	22	14	16,884	7	23
1992-93	4,008	22	16	18,375	9	13

(Source: Assistant Employment Officer, Mukatsar)

APPENDIX IV

Volume of Employment both in Private and Public Sectors in the Faridkot District during 1988 to 1992

Industrial Division Number of establishments Number of employees
	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1988	1989	1990	1991		1992
Public Sector
1 Manufacturing	7	6	8	8	8	3,235	3,570	3,886	3,833	3,900
2 Trade and Commerce	2	2	2	3	3	63	61	61	97	98
3 Transport, Storage & Communications	12	14	13	12	12	2,879	3,396	2,968	3,512	3,535
4 Services	514	532	544	560	566	27,135	27,537	27,413	28,040	28,549
Private Sector
1 Manufacturing	54	54	50	48	46	3,095	2,957	2,633	2,553	2,609
2 Trade and Commerce	4	6	6	5	5	55	66	66	39	37
3 Transport, Storage & Communications	7	7	7	7	6	243	249	247	240	224
4 Service	82	80	80	80	80	1,901	1,871	1,946	1,925	1,942

(Source: District Employment Officer, Faridkot

Contents Next

S. No.	Name of the Commodities	1980	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992
1	Wheat	1.37	1.82	1.85	2.00	2.40	2.42	2.49	2.61	3.56
2	Rice	1.95	3.50	3.52	3.53	4.28	4.51	9.53	5.42	6.48
3	Mung	4.57	6.96	6.47	6.58	9.89	9.86	10.35	10.59	14.28
4	Mash	4.04	6.98	7.00	6.99	8.47	9.90	10.72	11.48	12.88
5	Gram	2.97	6.18	6.28	5.24	7.27	8.91	9.62	10.12	10.28
6	Massar	4.22	6.33	6.99	6.87	8.33	9.63	10.43	12.02	12.49
7	Potatoes	1.31	1.41	3.07	1.89	1.75	1.76	2.96	3.04	2.96
8	Onion	1.35	1.87	2.32	3.44	2.81	2.50	3.55	4.58	2.69