Market Intelligence. – For efficient marketing and proper co-ordination of supply and demand, authentic information about the volume of marketable surplus, prices, arrivals, stock and movements of important agricultural commodities is very essential.  The buyer and the seller, both must be well-acquainted with demand and supply positions in order to strike a fair bargain.  This will mean from the producer’s side a regulated flow of supplies to mandis, and from dealer’s point of view adequate arrangements for procuring adequate number of wagons at the required time. 

 

            The market news is disseminated to the public through handbills, posters, bullentins, calendars, circular letters, newspapers, magazines, correspondence, window display, etc.  The co-operative marketing societies receive market information cards from allied societies.  A few good market committees also send daily information cards to Sarpanches of villages served by them.  There is, however, need for comparative study of prices, arrivals, stocks and demand position between different centres of trade (mandis).

 

            Weights and Measures :-  Till as late as the early 20th century different weights and measures were used in the district.  The common scale of weight was as follows :-

 

            37 paise mansuri     =     1 seer kachcha.

            40 seers kachcha      =     1 maund kachcha.

 

The mansuri pice was the old copper coinage of the country.  The kachcha scale was used everywhere, and the whole of the trade in grain was carried on in it.  Even in the shops of the town of Ludhiana, no other measure was used.  The kachcha manud at Ludhiana was equal to standard 17 seers.  It varied slightly through the district, being a remnant of Misl times, when every local chief adopted his own weight.  At jagraon the maund was about 4 seers (kachcha) less than that of Ludhiana ; and one of Pakhowal Something smaller still.

 

            Weighing was generally done with a ten-seer (kachcha) weight, called deserach, which had a Government stamp on it.  Almost every agriculturist had a weighing balance(takri) of his own.  A mat or earthenware vessel was used in the field for finding out roughly the amount of grain, but in selling it the weight and balance were always used.  Milk was bought and sold by the seer, but it was generally measured in a gadwa or brass vessel of known capacity.

 

            The adoption of the measures of area had been subject of much inquiry and of a good deal of correspondence.  Emperor Akbar had fixed one standard bigha for the whole of the empire.  It measured a square of land, the length of the side of which was fixed with a specified chain (jarib).  The chain was 20 ghattas, each ghatta being 3 ‘ilahi gaz’.  The ghatta is, however, not mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari.

 

            The ancient measures of the country are ghumaon, and kachcha bigha.  The latter is the standard of Hindustan or the cis-Sutlej country ; and the former appears to be in use all over the Punjab proper, and it has also partly spread in the Malwa.  In the uplands of this district, the ghumaon was used in the greater part of Jagraon and in the Jangal villages, and the bigha in the rest of the country.  In the bet, the ghumaon prevails except in a small stretch of country about Mattewara.  It was not in the power of the rulers to make the people adopt a new measure ; but they could fix the standard of that measure.  The scale of the ghumaon was as follows :-

 

3          Karams (double paces each way)                         .      1 Marla

8          Marlas                                                                   .      1 Kanal

8          Kanals                                                                   .                  1  Ghumaon

 

But generally the ghumaon is said to be four kachcha bighas.  A kachcha bigha is 20 karams each way.  The British finally adopted for future use a kachcha bighs, 1/3 of the old pukks bigah, measured by a chain of 20 karams the karam being 57 inches, and the chain 95 feet.  This average fitted into the old standard of the district.

 

            Actually prior to 1941, there was no uniform standard of weights and measures, but this handicap was removed with the passage of Punjab Weights and Measures Act, 1941.  The metric weights and measures, under the Punjab Weights and Measures Act, 1958, passed in consequence of the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1956 (Government of India), were introduced in the district with effect form October 1,1958, and enforced from April 1, 1961, respectively.  In the case of weights, use of old weights was allowed for a period of two years and from October 1,1960 the use of metric weights was made compulsory.  In the case of measures, a period of one year was allowed for the use of measures previously in vogue and from April 1, 1962, metric measures were made compulsory in the district.  The use of metric units became obligatory from April1, 1962.

 

            The Inspector, Weights and Measures, verifies weights and scales, etc., in the district for trade purpose.

            Storage and Warehousing. – The Co-operative Agricultural Service Societies had 391 godowns (124 owned and 267 hired) constructed under Intensive Agricultural Development Programme (I.A.D.P.) on June 30, 1966.  The capacity of owned godowns is 2,000 quintals approximately each.  Ordinarily in all mantis, the commission agents provide storing facilities for produce brought to them for sale.  There are no stores at the railway stations throughout the district.  There are two co-operative cold storages, viz.  The Ludhiana Do-operative Cold Store Ltd, and Adarsh Co-operative Cold Store located at Ludhiana.  The Ludhiana Co-operative Cold Store has a storage capacity of 14,000 quintals.

 

            Prior to the formation of State Warehousing Corporation, the agriculturists were not provided any facilities where by scientific storage of their produce could be ensured.  Their indigenous stores, kothas (bins) in their houses, huts made of mud and mattings, etc., were exposed to ravages of rain and seepage water and depredations of insect pests and rodents.  The Agricultural Produce (Development and Warehousing) Corporation Act, 1956, has pioneered the formation of Central Warehousing Corporation and a net-work of State Warehousing Corporations with the avowed object of providing scientific storage at low charges and arranging for cheap and quick credit facilities against the stored produce.  This is intended to encourage standardisation of the produce.  The Punjab State Warehousing Corporation was constituted by the Government from January 2, 1958, under the Act.  The Corporation is running warehouses in hired accommodation at Jagraon, Doraha, Ludhiana, Sahnewal, Samrala and Khanna in the district.  The Corporation is providing scientific storage of agricultural produce in the warehouses and the Scheduled Banks make advances to depositors on the pledge of Warehouse Receipts according to the credit restrictions of the Reserve Bank of India.  Besides, the Corporation also undertakes fumigation of stocks under the Technical Advisory  Scheme after recovering the fumigation charges.  At present, the rate of charges for this work is 15 paise per bag weighing up to 1 quintal and the minimum quantity chargeable for fumigation is 20 metric tonnes.

 

            The storage charges of the warehouses have been kept as low as possible to cover the actual expenses incurred, because the scheme is designed to run on “no profit, no loss basis.”  The storage rates for major commodities are given below :

 

 

Serial No

Name of commodity

Weight of Unit

Storage charges per month

Remarks

 

 

 

Paisa

 

1

Bajra, Wheat, Rice, Gram, Barley, Maize, Millet and other such food grains including pulses etc.

Bags up to 95 kgs.

 

Bags up to 100 kgs.

23

 

24

A rebate of 100 per cent will be allowed to cooperative Societies on total bill of shortage rounded of to nearest paisa

2

 

Paddy in bags

Up to 75 kgs.

Above 75 kgs to I quintal

18

22

 

3

Groundnut Kernel

Kernel up to 100 kgs

24

 

4

Mustard and Taramira, etc.

Up to 85 kgs

Above 85 kgs, to 1 quintal

20

23

 

5

Sugar

Up to 100 kgs

24

 

6

Khasdsari

Up to 60 kgs

Above 60 kgs to 100 kgs

14

23

 

7

Gur

Up to 40 kgs bags

18

 

 

(i) from Ist November to 31st July

Up to 40 kgs to 75 kgs

27

 

 

(ii) From Ist June to 31st oct.

Up to 40 kgs in bags

Above 40 kgs to 75 kgs

24

36

 

8

Shakkar

Weighing up to 100 kgs.

24

 

9

Cotton lint (fully pressed)

Up to 4 ½ mds. (200 kgs)

65

 

10

Cotton Docras Weighing

Up to 130 kgs. For every additional 35 kgs. Or part there of

45

15

 

11

Cotton Loose (Bulk) with or without seeds weighing

Up to 100 kgs

37

 

 

APPENDIX    I

Co-operative Agricultural Credit Societies

 

Period

 

Number of co-operative societies at the end of the year

Membership

Individuals

Share capital paid up (Rs. In Lakhs)

Loans advanced during the year

(Rs. In Lakhs)

Deposits (Rs. In Lakhs)

1

 

2

3

4

5

6

1956-57

..

678

49,280

22.20

43.75

26.73

1957-58

..

726

56,614

27.10

59.48

30.66

1958-59

..

783

66,366

31.93

78.82

35.20

1959-60

..

869

85,519

37.57

109.00

41.96

1960-61

..

919

99,197

43.57

126.25

55.37

1961-62

..

933

104,563

51.13

174.37

55.37

1962-63

..

937

110,063

59.37

181.00

76.96

1963-64

..

944

115,683

68.09

224.95

88.25

1964-65

..

1,016

135,006

84.60

279.19

92.06

1965-66

..

973

142,698

96.41

160.51

137.39

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Source: The Assistant Registrar, Co-Operative Societies, package Programme, Ludhiana)

 

APPENDIX    II

Co-operative Agricultural Credit Societies

 

Period

 

Number of co-operative societies at the end of the year

Membership

Individuals

Share capital paid up (Rs. In Lakhs)

Loans advanced during the year

(Rs. In Lakhs)

Deposits (Rs. In Lakhs)

1

 

2

3

4

5

6

1956-57

..

678

49,280

22.20

43.75

26.73

1957-58

..

726

56,614

27.10

59.48

30.66

1958-59

..

783

66,366

31.93

78.82

35.20

1959-60

..

869

85,519

37.57

109.00

41.96

1960-61

..

919

99,197

43.57

126.25

55.37

Period

 

Number of co-operative societies at the end of the year

Membership

Individuals

Share capital paid up (Rs. In Lakhs)

Loans advanced during the year

(Rs. In Lakhs)

Deposits (Rs. In Lakhs)

1

 

2

3

4

5

6

1961-62

..

933

104,563

51.13

174.37

55.37

1962-63

..

937

110,063

59.37

181.00

76.96

1963-64

..

944

115,683

68.09

224.95

88.25

1964-65

..

1,016

135,006

84.60

279.19

92.06

1965-66

..

973

142,698

96.41

160.51

137.39

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Source: The Assistant Registrar, Co-Operative Societies, package Programme, Ludhiana)

 

­­­­­­­­­­APPENDIX    III

 

Total Arrival of Agricultural Produce (in quintals) in Various Market Committees

 

 

Name of the market Committee

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name of Agricultural

Wheat

Gram

Barley

Maize

Bajra

Jowar

 

 

Moong

Mash

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

A.     Ludhiana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1963-64

201,628

43,163

849

32,419

1,907

4,372

3,455

3,837

1964-65

1,580,296

32,217

846

22,038

1,384

3,591

5,160

3,733

1965-66

226,484

56,368

1,782

78,879

1,979

3,982

3,979

4,050

B.     Jagraon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1963-64

460,288

42,823

655

101,755

1,481

3,737

1,344

1,289

1964-65

349,044

29,245

751

28,346

398

1,313

660

941

1965-66

448,253

24,937

3,725

147,764

1,201

1,808

671

2,378

C.     Samrala

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1963-64

23,262

2,902

29

5,588

-

        -

-

529

1964-65

25,603

802

114

6,273

-

-

-

498

1965-66

37,272

2,968

898

20,464

-

-

-

300

D.     Khanna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1963-64

323,279

7,811

268

42,763

307

1,554

-

922

1964-65

286,888

6,966

1,236

41,414

-

1,530

-

488

1965-66

308,926

14,223

10,195

115,057

-

775

-

459

E.      Mullanpur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1963-64

64,869

7,674

183

23,002

603

924

134

223

1964-65

50,629

6,982

214

7,279

491

253

250

378

1965-66

66,237

6,078

792

39,215

876

779

408

790

F.      Railkot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1963-64

41,346

3,098

100

5,724

92

690

307

138

1964-65

37,702

2,339

86

3,117

50

685

386

177

1965-66

73,699

2,983

568

29,813

72

887

352

322

G.     Doraha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1963-64

47,487

2,069

94

18,463

-

-

-

-

1964-65

40,584

2,184

138

8,245

-

-

-

-

1965-66

68,042

3,748

821

45,645

-

-

-

-

H.     Machhiwarn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1964-65

3,016

342

42

4,796

127

25

8

124

1965-66

23,800

2,045

514

13,154

289

462

27

125

 

 

 

I.       District during the Years 1963-64 to 1965-66

 

 

Commodities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moth

Gur

Shakkar

Khandsari

Cotton

Ameican

Cotton
Desi 

Onion

Potato

Groundnut

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5,703

16,348

973

8,998

-

2047

27,166

62,159

77,148

6,132

19,656

757

11,544

-

-

33,291

59,574

101,306

4,052

26,739

530

11,109

-

         -

27,608

69,924

132,454

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,645

36,917

-

-

36,454

131,701

-

-

21,647

2,009

30,859

-

-

   19,655

63,169

-

-

29,938

522

29,999

-

-

31982

103,079

-

-

53,831

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

7,866

-

2,638

-

3,283

-

-

55,566

-

11,720

-

4,030

-

3,260

-

-

51,686

-

19,823

-

8,728

-

1,702

-

-

60,143

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

43,454

3,559

26,231

-

8,633

1,570

6,123

258,527

-

65,870

2,825

32,334

-

5,320

2,331

4,932

224,153

-

87,586

3,190

62,270

-

3,878

2,565

7,684

364,124

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

84

1,853

38

-

2,810

23,392

61

74

23,034

404

3,862

235

-

1,245

9,217

36

53

42,800

475

3,560

135

-

1,581

17,324

54

67

81,367

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

892

5,819

-

-

1,307

11,486

218

2,535

-

977

8,958

-

-

1,730

4,160

1,017

2,485

103

856

10,375

-

-

2,206

10,695

1,545

3,383

324

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

1,185

205

-

5,883

4,475

-

-

70,518

-

1,333

160

-

2,830

2,557

-

-

74,033

-

1,922

211

-

3,791

3,768

-

-

101,150

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

1,204

208

226

682

703

-

-

64,787

-

1,911

324

697

1,716

652

-

1,634

88,301

 

 

APPENDIX  IV

J.      Work done by Co-operative Marketing Societies

 

Co-operative year ending June

 

No. of societies

Membership

Paid up share capital (Rs. In lakhs)

Working capital (Rs. In lakhs)

Value of goods marketed (Rs. In lakhs)

Individuals

Societies

Total

1

..

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1962

..

7

1,907

391

2,298

6.27

12.98

21.99

1963

..

7

2,276

621

2,897

6.34

16.49

23.66

1964

..

7

2,764

811

3,575

6.42

18.22

34.35

1965

..

8

3,311

903

4,214

7.94

32.43

208.23

1966

..

8

4,130

948

5,078

10.46

44.10

166.11

(Source : Assistant Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Package Programme, Ludhiana.)

 

 

 

CHAPTER VII

COMMUNICATIONS

 

 

v     Old-time Roads and Highways and Modes of conveyance

v     Roads Transport

v     Railways

v     Waterways, Ferries and Bridges

v     Travel and Tourist Facilities

v     Post, Telegraphs and Telephones

 

 

(a)     Old Time Trade Routes and Highways and Modes of Conveyance.  Roads are the veins are and arteries of a country through which every important movement circulates.  Indian history abounds references to road construction activity undertaken in the past and the road policy adopted by different rulers from time to  time.  The pace of road construction was accelerated with the advent of the British in the Cis-Satluj region early in the 19th century.  Though roads were built principally form the administrative and strategic standpoint, yet these promoted inter-communication among the different areas and helped to reduce the isolation between towns and villages.

 

(b)        Road Transport - The total metalled road length in the district, maintined by the Pubic works Department , was 469.10 kms. on mach 31, 1966 as against 268 kms. in 1947 at the time of the partition of the Punjab. To cope with the uncreasing volume of traffic, the Grand Truck Road, Ludhiana-Chandigarh Road and Ludhiana-Ferozepore Road are being widened.

 

            (i) Classification of Roads-  The following table shows the category wise classification of roads in the District;-

 

Road Length in Ludhiana District as on March 31, 1966

 

 

Metalled Roads (kms)

Unmetalled Roads (kms)

Total Roads (kms)

A. Roads maintained by Public Works Department -

 

 

 

      1. National Highway 

68.21

 

68.21

      2. State Highways

124.97

 

124.97

      3. District Major Roads

14.08

 

14.08

      4. District Minor Roads

261.84

 

289.91

Total

469.10

28.07

497.17

B. Roads maintained by the Zila Parishad, Ludhiana-

 

 

 

       1. Other District Roads

49.44

36.80

86.24

       2. Village Roads

55.86

188.79

244.65

Total

105.30

225.59

330.89

 

 

            Out of the total road of 497.17 kms, maintained by the Public Works Department in the district as on March 31, 1966, the metalled measured 469.10 kms, and the unmetalled 28.07 kms. The National Highways, State Highways, District Major Roads are maintained by the State Public works department. The National Highway is maintained out of the Central Government funds while the rest are maintained out of the state funds. Other District Roads (Second Class Roads) and Village Roads its own funds. Besides there are some roads within the limited of different municipalities which are maintained by the Municipal Committees concerned. (See Appendix at pages 340-43).

 

            A detailed description of each category is given below:

 

            National Highways.- National Highways are defined as main highways running through the length and breadth of the country, connected with other highways of various States. They also include the highways required for highways for strategic movement  by the State Public Works Department out of central Government funds.1 These roads are generally fully bridged and matelled, and in recent years mist of them have been block-topped.

 

                1.  The Government of India assumed financial responsibility for the construction and maintenance of a system of national highways with effect from Aprial1, 1947

 

            67.       77 kms. of Grand Trunk Road, National Highways No. 1. lie in the district. This length includes a bye-pass, 8.60 kms. long which was constructed near Ludhiana town in 1962 so as to avoid the congested area of the town through which the G.T. Road otherwise passes. Form Delhi side the G.T. Road enters the district at km. 257.70 and leaves it at km. 316.80.

 

            The Grand Trunk Road in the Punjab is a continuation of the Grand Trunk Road, which, starting from Calcutta, runs through Northern India to Delhi. Thence, passing through Karnal and Ambala, it reaches Ludhiana and thereafter extends to Amritsar and the border with  West Pakistan. The section from Karnal to Ludhiana as opened in 1852, and that from Phillaur to the Beas was opened in 1860-61. It runs alongside the Northern Railway.

 

            State Highways.-These are defined as all other main trunk of arterial roads of the state connected with the National Highways, district headquarters and important towns within the state and serving as the main arteries of traffic to and from the district roads. These roads are maintained by the State Government and are generally bridged and metalled. They are motorable throughout  the year, expect that whenever they come across causeways of submersible bridges they are subject to interruptions in traffic for short periods, especially during the rainy season.  State Highways are invariably connected with the National Highways.

 

The State Highways passing through the district measure 124.24 kms. in all : Ludhiana- Samrala section (32.16 kms) and Samrala – Morinda section (21.84 kms.) of the Chandigarh Ludhiana Road ; Ludhiana-Ferozepore Road (44.80 kms, ; and Ludhiana- Malerkotla Road (25.44 kms. besides its portion of 2.40 kms. maintained by the Municipal committee, Ludhiana).

 

 

            Major District Roads. – These are roughly of the same specifications as the State Highways connecting important marketing centres with the railways, the State Highways and the National Highways.

 

            Under this head comes the Ludhiana-Machhiwara section (14 kms.) of the Ludhiana-Rahon Road.

 

            Minor District Roads. – These serve as important arteries of communication between different parts of the district.  The more important among them are Samrala- Bahlolpur Road, Khanna–Samrala–Machhiwara Road, Sahhewal- Kohara Road, Jagroan-Raikot Road, Dakha-Halwara–Raikot Road, Khanna-Bhari-kheri Road, Sidhwan-Mehatpur Road and Sahhnewal–Dehlon- Raipur Road.

 

            The State Highways and the Major and Minor District Roads are constructed and maintained by the State Public Works Departments.

 

            Village Roads. – These are generally approach or link roads from the main roads to the villages and have generally an unmetalled surface.  Construction of link roads has been going on in rural areas quite vigorously since this project was launched in the State on January 21, 1968.  The villagers, with whose free labour this project is being executed, are generally giving due priority to this voluntary work.  In some cases, the villagers raise money to engage labourers for expediting the earth-work in their respective areas.  the P.W.D. simultaneously carries out its job of metalling the roads.

 

            The break through in agriculture has made the villagers acutely conscious of the significance of link roads.  The green revolution has also brought about a radical change in their stoic conception of life and has created new and varied urges in them.

 

            The village roads are maintained by the Zila Parishad.

 

            The district made good progress in construction of roads during the different plan periods as is borne out by the total road length in the district at the end of the different plan periods, shown below :

 

 

Plan

Year

Road Length

Metalled (kms)

Unmetalled (kms)

Total

..

1950-55

293

331

624

First Five Year Plan

1955-56

314

330

644

Second Five Year Plan

1960-61

422

320

742

Third Five Year Plan

1965-66

(as on March 31, 1966)

569

218

787

 

(Source : Chief Engineer, Punjab, P. W. D., Buildings and Roads Branch)

 

            (ii)   Vehicles and Conveyances. – The old time means of conveyance comprised shigrams, ekkas and majholis, used by trvellers, and bullock carts used for carrying agricultural produce.  Camels were used for carrying grain from Jangal villages, where the roads were particularly sandy, and only a small load could be brought on a cart.  Donkeys were used for bringing grain and bricks, etc., from short distances into Ludhiana.

 

            Besides the ordinary farm carts used for agriculture, there were other carts working for hire, i.e., those going to Ludhiana and beyond it with loads of grain, etc. (Dasawarwala).  The carts used in carrying trade were a variation of the ordinary cart.

 

            Though motor vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, yet the bullock carts still hold the sway in the countryside, both for conveyance and carriage of goods.  They are eminently suited to the rugged countryside where the sophisticated modern vehicles dare not tread.  An improvement tyres in place of the traditional wooden wheels.

 

            With the improvement and extension of roads and the indigenous cycle industry, push-cycles are being used as extensively in villages as in towns.

 

            A remarkable feature of the post-Independence period has been a rapid decline in the use of tongas and ekkas drawn by horses.  This is primarily due to the emergence of the cycle-rickshaws, which are cheaper and easier to maintain.  The horse-carts, however, still continue to be used on the roads in the countryside, though as conveyance in towns very few of them are to be seen. 

 

            The increase in the use of motor vehicles is also a market feature of the post-Independence period as shown by the number of different types of motor vehicles on road in the district the period 1961-66, as given in Appendix II at pages 344.

 

            Automobiles. – Motor cycles and scooters are becoming quite popular with the well-to-do section of the people.  auto-rickshaws provide another means of quick transport in cities.  These are easily available and more convenient than the buses, and are also cheaper than the taxies which are hired by richer class of people.

 

            Cycles. – Introduced in the world in 1867, the cycles appeared in the Indian cities in the beginning of the 20th century.  The bicycle a cheaper means of individual transport.  For short distance within a city, it is very handy conveyance.  Besides carrying a rider, it has given opportunity to Indian dairymen and cultivators to bring milk and other minor products to the cities and adjoining towns. A large number of students, teachers and workers have found in bicycles a good and handy transport.  It has made Indian workers more reliable.  It is cheap, flexible and convenient. Sometimes hawkers sell their wares on their bicycles.

 

            Cycle Rickshaws.-  Men-driven two wheeled rickshaw were formerly used for carrying passengers at hill stations.  In the Punjab, the cycle rickshaw is an innovation introduced after 1947.  its popularity was largely due to the fact that most of the indigent displaced persons were eager to find quick means of employment and the cycle rickshaw required small capital investment or could be produced on hire-purchase basis or on payment of a specified daily rent for plying it.  The three-wheeled rickshaw has now become very common in towns and cities.  These have practically ousted tongas and ekkas from the field.  The well-to-do rickshaw-pullers purchase their rickshaw while others obtain tem to hire.

 

            The Punjab Government have formed bye-laws for the well being of the rickshaw-pullers.  Only the physically fit persons between the ages of 18 and 45 area allowed the ply the vehicles.  Only two persons are allowed to carried in a rickshaw.

 

            Horse carriages.-  As a means of conveyance, horse carriages, i.e., tongas and ekkas, are found useful in carrying passengers from one part of the city to another.  Now-a-days, there is a keen competition between the horse-drawn carriages on the one hand and the cycle rickshaw, motor rickshaws and motor buses on the other.  But the horse carriages cannot be ousted completely.

 

            (iii)       Public Transport.- The introduction of passenger road transport is an important landmark in the history of transport service in the State.  Its extension in the post-Independence period has been particularly remarkable.  Although major important routes have been nationalized, yet a good many routes are operated by private transport companies.  Road transport has interconnected rural and urban areas.  With the development of industries and agriculture, the passenger traffic has so much increased that it would have been impossible for the railways to cope with it singly.  Moreover, each and every important and unimportant urban and rural locality cannot be possibly linked through railways.  Therefore, the development and extension of road transport was both natural and essential.

 

            State-owned Services. – Ludhiana lies on the routes of most of the State-owned transport services.  The Punjab Roadways, Jullundur (Depot), has a Sub-Depot at Ludhiana which operates its service on 23 routes as detailed in Appendix III on pages 344-45.

 

            Private Bus Services. – These render great service in linking together different parts of the district.  The private bus services operating in the district are :-

 

1.

The Akal Transport Co., Pvt. Ltd., Ludhiana

2.

The Ludhiana Transport Co., Pvt. Ltd. Ludhiana

3.

The Nankana Sahib Transport Co., Pvt. Ltd., Ludhiana

4.

The National Transport and General Co., Pvt. Ltd., Ludhiana

5.

The Dasmesh Transport Co., Pvt. Ltd. Ludhiana

6.

The Nirbhai Roadways, Pvt. Ltd., Ludhiana

7.

The Sheikhupura Transport Co., Pvt. Ltd., Ludhiana

8.

The satluj Transport Co., Pvt. Ltd., Jullundur

 

            The detailed particulars regarding the routes operated by the above mentioned transport companies are given in Appendix IV at pages 346-48.

 

(c) The Railways

            The Railways are a significant and potential means of transport for men and material over long distances.  They have greatly contributed to the industrial and commercial development of the country.  Their introduction has converted barren and unpopulated land into flourishing fields and densely populated areas.  they have also helped also helped in the social development of the country.  They carry raw materials and finished products to the port towns to be exported to other countries, and transport imported articles to the numerous distributing centres inside the country.  The railways promote international trade. 

            Ludhiana is an important railway junction on the Northern Railway, being connected with Jullundur and Amritsar on the north and north-west, Ferozepore on the west, Dhuri, Jakhal and Hissar on the south, and Sirhind and Ambala cantt. And thence with Delhi on the south-east.

            The Amritsar-Ambala line is a broad-gauge double line.  It enters the district at Phillaur by an iron bridge across the Satluj and runs through if for about 58 kms., in a south-easternly direction, serving Ludhiana and Samrala tahsils.  Loudhowal, Ludhiana, Dhandari Kalan, Sahnewal, doraha, Jaspalon, Chawapail and Khanna railway stations lie on this route.  This is the oldest line, having been constructed in 1870.  The Ludhiana-Ferozepore line is also broad-gauge and runs westward from Ludhiana, passing through the western half of Ludhiana tahsil and the middle of Jagraon tahsil.  Model Cram2, Baddowal, Bhanohad Punjab, Mullanpur, chauki Man, Jagraon and Nanaksar  are the railway stations located  on it.  The Ludhiana-Dhuri-Jakhal-Hissar line is broad-gauge and runs through Ludhiana tahsil in the southernly direction connecting Gil, Jassowal, Qila Raipur, Gungrana and Ahmadgarh.

2.             Situated at a distance of 4 kms. from Ludhiana, the Model Gram Railway Station was formally opened on November 14, 1962.  It serves new colonies on the south-western periphery of the Ludhiana city.

 

            The tahsil-wise list of railway stations in Ludhiana district is an under :

 

Tahsil

 

Railway Station

Tahsil Ludhiana

..

Ludhiana

 

 

Model Gram

 

 

Baddowal

 

 

Bhanohad Punjab

 

 

Mullanpur

 

 

Gil

 

 

Jassowal

 

 

Qila Raipur

 

 

Gungrana

 

 

Ahmadgarh

 

 

Dhandari Kalan

 

 

Sahnewal

Tahsil

 

Railway Station

 

 

Doraha

 

 

Loudhowal

Tahsil Samrala

..

Jaspalon

 

 

Chawapail

 

 

Khanna

Tahsil Jagraon

..

Chauki Man

 

 

Jagraon

 

 

Nanaksar

 

 

            Appendices V and VI (pages 348-49)show  the monthly average railway passenger and goods traffic and earning during 1965-66.

 

            Rail Road Competition. - With the growth of railways, a mistaken view was formed that roads were unnecessary and unprofitable. So the road development was seriously retarded during the latter half of the 19th  century . But the advent of motor transport in the beginning of the 20th  century led to a better appreciation of the value of through highways.

 

            The Mitchell-Krikness Committee, appointed by Government of India, recorded in 1933 huge annual loss of railway revenue owing to competition from roads. During the World II(1939-45) there was practically no rail-road competition as considerable number of motor vehicles were requisitioned by the Government for military purposes and the railways catered for traffic far in excess of their capacity . After the cessation of war, the fear of rail-road competition was aroused again, as was witnessed by the promulgation of rigid code of principles and practices for regulating playing of motor vehicles. The measures aimed at protecting for regulating playing of motor vehicles. The measures aimed at protecting railway interests as a result of the financial stake of the Government.

 

            After the Independence ,Government thought of nationalizing road transport. Later. It reached fifty fifty agreement with private transporters. Efforts are also afoot to achieve best possible co-ordination between rail and road traffic.

 

A sample study3 of the flow of traffic has revealed that there is a good  deal of traffic moving by road traffic is not known, preference is clearly for road. This is more pronounced in the case of shorter haulages. The reasons for diversion to road traffic seem to be the lower freight rates. Proper supervision, absence of irksome formalities and door-to door service. Moreover the last decade  and a half have seen a lot of road expansion , whereas there has been little extension of railways.

3.  Techno- Economic Survey of Punjab (National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi), 1962, P. 71.

 

                For transport of heavy machinery, bulk articles and also for long distance haulages(beyond 300 miles) there  is a pronounced preference for  railways

 

 

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