Wages

Wages usually signify all remunerations capable of being expressed in terms of money, paid to a person as payment for the labour done. There  have an intimate connection with the general economic conditions of the  people, the level of prices of essential commodities, and the standard of  living. In  the early days, wages, especially in the agricultural labourers and artisans were generally paid either in cash or in kind or in both. But, with the passage of time, the payment of wages in cash has  become more and more prevalent, especially in the case of labourers.

 

A study of the general level of wages throws much fight on the economic condition of the people. The wage level over a period has undergone  similar fluctuations as the price level. There has been a sharp rise in wages since the World War II. The wage rates of labour, from 1905-06 to 1927, are given in Appendix I on page 248. The rates of pay fixed  for class IV Government Servants working in the District during 1979-80 are given in Appendix II on page 249.

Standard of Living  :--- The standard of living can be explained as the way of living of the masses in a particular area, taking into consideration the income  and consumption patterns.  Besides income and expenditure of a family, the standard of living depends on two factors, viz. the size  and composition of the family and the tastes and preferences of  its members. The income of an ordinary family and the amenities of life within  the reach of its members depend on the productive  resources available  in the region and employment offered by the resources. The external factors, such as climate and environment, also affect the standard of living of the people. A knowledge of the prevalent standard of living of the various strata of society is. therefore, useful in understanding the general economic and social well-being off the people and planning for their progress and prosperity.

The Economic and Statistical Organization, Punjab, conducted a survey regarding the family budgets of thirty-five cultivators in the State during 1978-79. The aim of the survey was to find out the returns accruing to  the farmers for their work on the holdings .  Two families of villages, viz., Lakhuwala Hithar (Tehsil Fazilka), and Sherpur Takhtuwala (Tehsil Zira) in the Firozpur District were included in the survey. the findings of the survey pertaining to the income and expenditure are given in the following table:

 

Name of the family/               Net income from          Net expenditure     Surplus/

village                                     all sources                                                     deficit

Ladhuwala Hithar                   32,633.26                      8,503.75               +24,129.51

Sherpur Takhtuwala               47,106.88                    13,175,.28              +33,931.60

The above figures show that these families in the Firozpur District had a surplus budget. The survey also showed that, on an average, a peasant proprietor’s family in the Punjab spent 56 per cent of its income on food, 11 per cent on clothing, 18 per cent on housing, 15 per cent on fuel, lighting, medicine, travelling, education, religious and social functions, amusements,  etc. The finding of the survey also revealed that, on an average, a peasant proprietor incurred 49 per cent of his total domestic expenditure on the commodities purchased from outside.

The good consumed by the families in the two villages were as under :

 

Name of the family/          Total          Supplied       Percentage       Purchases     Percentage

village                                          expen-        by the                                 from out

                                            iture           farm                             outside

                                        on food

Ladhuwala Hithar              5,151.30          4,010.00       73             1,500.50          27

Sherpur Takhtuwala     7,383.03           5,784.13       78             1,598.90          22  

 

(b) Employment Situation

The total magnitude of employment in a country as a whole is a consequence of the development policies followed by it. The employment situation in the Firozpur District, too, is becoming more and more favourable as years roll by, though the growth in employment is not keeping pace with the labour turnover. The trends in employment are influenced by changes in the economic structure, seasonal effect, mobility of labour and the rate of development. After Independence, the rate of employment growth has been maximum in the tertiary sector, trade, and commerce, transport, storage, communications and services.

The inhabitants of the District are primarily engaged in agriculture which, however, provides employment for about six months in  the year. On 31 March 1980, there were 57,976 labourers employed in the District as compared with 53.558 in the previous year. The employment increased by 8.2 per cent and the index rose from 103.2 in 1979 to 119.9 at the end of 1980. In the public sector, employment increased by 8.5 per cent in 1979-80, but it decreased in the private sector. An important feature of the District is that the employment of women also increased by 14.5 per cent during 1979-80. In 1979-80, the employment of women constituted about 11.5 per cent of the total employment. The growth of employment in the District is constant owing to its proximity to the border, as very few entrepreneurs take the initiative to invest more money . The only redeeming  feature is the growing incidence of self-employment in agriculture which has become a profitable business these days. The number of persons waiting for employment in the District at the close of 1974 was 14,700, which number rose to 23,677 in 1980. Moreover, there is a surplus of teachers of drawing and social studies, conductors, labourers, chowkidars, drivers, sweepers, illiterate persons without technical training, etc. On the other hand, there is an acute shortage of good pharmacists, compounders, teachers (science and mathematics) etc. The labour force of the District is not mobile enough because of the lack education in the rural areas, thus resulting in increasing un-employment.

Employment Exchange :-  The District Employment Exchange, Firozpur was established on 1 October 1959, primarily to provide employment assistance for the people and also to help them  in the resettlement and rehabilitation of the ex-servicemen released from the Army. Its main functions are : to register applicants and to provide employment assistance, to impart vocational guidance to the youth (boys and girls) and adults to enable them to choose a better career, and  to collect information with respect  to the employment market to assess the employment trends, the impact of Government plans on the employment situations and to collect employment statistics for the Planning Commission of India.

The number of persons waiting for employment on the live register of the District Employment Exchange, Firozpur, increased from 9,487 in 1974 to 15,095 in 1980. The number of vacancies notified to the Employment Exchange decreased from 3,923  in 1974 to 2,246 in 1980. The number of vacancies filled during 1974 and 190 were 2,973 and 1,203, respectively. The employment increased to some extent in cotton-ginning and cotton-weaving factories owing to the seasonal effect and increase in power supply.

As a result of the increase in the volume of work, A Town Employment Exchange was also opened at Abohar to serve  the  people of the area.  The number of persons waiting for employment on  the live register of the Town Employment Exchange, Abohar, increased from 5,213 in 1974 to 8,582 in 1980. The number of vacancies notified to Employment Exchange increased from 123 in 1974 to 551 in 1980. The number of vacancies filled up during 1974 and 1980 were 47 and 431 respectively.

 

The work done by the District Employment Exchange, Firozpur and Town Employment Exchange, Abohar is shown in Appendices III and IV on pages 253 and 254 respectively.

Employment Market Information Scheme :-  Because of the realization that the problem of unemployment must be tackled at the district level, the Employment Market Information Scheme was introduced into District under the Second Five-Year-Plan. This scheme estimates the employment position of the entire revenue District of Firozpur so as to make data available to the Government and the Planning Commission for the contraction and expansion of employment in various industries and occupations. The information, thus collected, is also utilized to assist the Government in determining the location of certain training institutions and the trades to be taught therein. it enables  the Government to assess the impact of developmental plans on employment. It is also intended to provide comprehensive information to the persons seeking work and the employers seeking workers.

Under this Scheme, the data are collected from all the establishments in the public sector and from those establishments in the private sector,  which are engaged in non-agricultural activities employing 10 or more  workers. In the case of construction activity, the converge is restricted  to only those engaged in contract of work on public account. The information is, however, limited to only whole-time employees. Part-time employees or independent workers are not covered.

 

This Scheme is also intended to provide the employers, the persons seeking employment and the State and Central Governments with comprehensive  employment information. the Employment Exchange (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959, came into force from 1 May 1960, for the benefit on the public and private agencies.  The employment generated by the public sector has increased faster than that generated by the private sector, and, therefore, the relative share of the public sector in generating total employment showed an increase. The Scheme also aims at improving employment conditions and co-ordination among the existing agencies.

Introduced into the State in 1957-58, the Scheme is operated 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 following statement clearly shows the changes in the volume of employment, both in private and public sectors in the Firozpur District, as in December 1978 and December, 1979 :

 

 

                                                                Number of                      Number of

Industrial Division                ------------------------           --------------------------

 

                                                December      December        December    December

                                                    1978             1979                   1978           1979

 

Manufacturing                              45                 57                      4,221             49

Trade and commerce                      8                  8                          117           117

Transport, storage and                 13                 13                    24,094       25,696

communications

Service                                       391               440                             23,845       25,297

                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Total                                   457              440                              23,945      25,297

 

                                    (Source : District Employment Officer, Firozpur)

 

The above statement shows that, with the exception of manufacturing and trade and commerce, the employment incr3eased in transport, storage and communications, and service divisions.

Vocational Guidance Scheme :- The Scheme aims at giving vocational guidance and employment counseling to school-leavers and fresh  entrants of the labour market and to help them to choose vocations  in  accordance with their interests, aptitudes and abilities. It is conducted in close collaboration with the guidance services in schools under education authorities. The programme is jointly operated by the Directorate  of Employment Exchanges of the Directorate-General of Employment and Training, Ministry of Labour and Employment in the State. The Ministry of Labour and Employment, throughout the Director of Employment Exchanges, is responsible for the general policies and procedures, which are devised in collaboration with the State Governments through the National Working Group of the Employment Service.

The officer inchagre of the Employment Exchange, Firozpur is responsible for the efficient working and general  supervision of this Scheme in the District. The functions of a Vocational Guidance Unit are to give the youth (boys and girls) and adults (men and women) vocation-guidance and employment counseling in groups and individually,  to assist in the placement of the youth in institutions or in plant-training centres or in entry-jobs follow-up and to 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 early and suitable placement, to assist other sections of the Exchanges to improve  the quality of registrations and submissions, to assist in the collection and compilation of up-to-date information on occupations, training facilities, educational courses, employment trends and employment outlook for the youth and adults, scholarships and sources of financial assistance, the maintenance of regular information for use by the applicants and visitors seeking information, the maintenance of up-to-date library on  occupation literature; and to educate the public by undertaking publicity measures in the principles of vocational guidance with a view to encouraging community consciousness. The guidance procedure at  an employment exchange, with a vocational guidance unit consists in group guidance comprising invitational talks, group discussions and invitational talk-cum-group discussions according to the needs of the groups, individual guidance, and giving information individually.

A Vocational Guidance Unit was started in the District Employment Exchange, Firozpur, on  1 October 1962. The employment Counsellor, on invitation, visits schools and colleges to give talks on different careers. He renders all possible help to the educational authorities in organization career conferences, exhibitions, parents’ meetings and other guidance programmes.

The following table shows the work done by the Vocational Guidance Unit, Firozpur during 1975 to 1979 :

                                                                  Number of individuals provided

Year                                                                     -------------------------------------------------------------

                                                            Group              Individual-       Individual

                                                            guidance           guidance          information

                                                            talks                   cases

 

1975                                                        231          219               1,170

1976                                                        212          279               1,297

1977                                                        207          146               1,297

1978                                                         94            231                 605

1979                                                       562            363                 575

(Source : District Employment Officer, Firozpur)

Planning :-  India is a land of villages and its population is predominantly rural and illiterate. In spite of this fact, the villages remained  neglected all through the past in the context of development programme of the country. During the British rule, considerable enthusiasm  was engendered and many improvements were introduced into the Punjab villages during 1928. The main emphasis was on manure pits, ventilators, improved  agricultural implements and the education of women. But not much progress could  be made in this respect because of the lack of co-operation from the people.

The partition of 1947 shattered the economic life of the country, particularly that of the Punjab. Therefore, apart from the rehabilitation of  the refugees, the Government of India decided to revive the economy of the country through the programmes of planned development.

Planning is an important means for achieving the economic and social advancement of the people by formulating definite schemes by setting up targets of progress in various sectors of the economy and by achieving them within a stipulated period. After Independence, a comprehensive programme of planned economic development has been  undertaken in the country for the social and economic uplift of the people through successive Five-Year-Plans by systematic planning to ensure the maximum utilization of the country’s manpower and material resources. Various welfare and developmental activities have, thus, been initiated with a view to raising the standard of living of the people by the opening new avenues of the gainful employment and ensuring a richer and  fuller life to society. The pattern of planning in the District is the same as in the rest of the State, and, indeed, in the country, as a whole, at least with respect to the broad principles and approach.

The First Five-Year Plan (1951-56) was more or less in the nature of preparing the groundwork for various development activities.  The Second (1956-61) and the Third (1961-66) Plans were quite ambitious. The Second Plan, by means of the system of “mixed economy”, aimed at laying the foundation of economic progress on a wider front.  It also attempted to accelerate the rate of growth and initiate a strategy for achieving long-term objectives of development. The Third aimed at increasing the tempo of development to march towards “a self-sustained” economy. There followed three Annual Plans during 1966-67, 1967-68 and 1968-69. The Fourth Five-Year-Plan, was launched from 1969-70. However, in Fifth-Five-Year Plan, stress was laid on the improvement and development of all sectors of the economy.

The economic development made during each successive Plan reflect the determined efforts of the people and the Government to improve economic condition and rise the standard of living. The implementation of the Plans has resulted in several physical achievements and also structural changes lying behind these.

Community Development :-  The direct principles o the Constitution are sought to be implemented through an integrated development programme, embodied in the Five-Year, which aim at raising the standard of living and ensuring better conditions of living for all sections of society. Under these Plans, All-India, State-level and District-level Plans are formulated along with their specific targets and methods of achievement. These schemes for the peoples’ benefit are implemented  through the District administrative machinery which has been reorganized and strengthened after Independence and has been assigned a pivotal role to play to achieve the purpose.

The Community Development Programme is a unique and fresh scientific endeavor for an integrated approach to the problems of rural development, based on public participation and working through representative institutions of the people. it endeavors to mobilize Public  enthusiasm and co-operation in rebuilding the rural economy and in preparing the ground for a stronger base for industrial progress and to influse a new life by creating a new pattern of society in the rural areas.

The Community Development Programme was initiated in the country  on 2 October 1952. It was inaugurated in the District by starting the first development block at Zira on 1 April 1956. These types of development blocks known as the N.E.S. (National Extension Service),the C.D.(Community Development), and the post-Intensive Blocks were conceived. They marked  the three different phases of development in the rural areas. The N.E.S. was a preparatory period when the areas was to be prepared to receive a heavy development dose during the next stage of community development which was a period of intensive stage, based on the assumption that the area will be sufficiently developed and the people will be educated and made conscious enough to keep up by themselves the tempo of work already released during the C.D.  stage.

During 1956-57, the Planning Commission appointed the Balwantrai Mehta Committee to examine the working of the community development programme and related matters and to recommend measures for  improving the quality, tone and content of the programme. In pursuance of its recommendations, the existing distinction  among the N.E.S stage, the intensive development and the post-intensive stages was abolished from 1 April 1958 and all blocks,  were classified into two  categories, namely, the Stage-I and the stage-II blocks, with revised  financial patterns and period of operations. Accordingly, all the N.E.S. blocks were regularized as the stage-I blocks, and all the post-intensive blocks as the stage-II blocks. The existing C.D. blocks were to continue till their term expired, when they entered the stage -II.

A stage-I block has a 5 years period of operation, with a ceiling expenditure of 12 lakhs of rupees (4 lakhs provided  as loan and 8 lakhs as grant). It is an “Intensive Development” phase in which the people’s participation is promoted as the method of community development and panchayats are intimately connected with the formulation of plans for their respective area. After completing stage-I, the block enters the stage-II, with a provision of 5 lakhs of rupees (1.05 lakhs furnished by way of loan and the remaining as grant) for 5 years, during which the  process of community development is intensified in its fuller amplitude  by a greater emphasis on community development rather than on development programmes as such.  Thereafter, the block enters the post stage-II (also called stage-III).

 

The Community Development Programme covers the entire District of Firozpur, comprising 9 blocks, viz. Firozpur, ghai Khurd, Guru Har Sahai (in the Firozpur Subdivision); Fazilka, Abohar, Jalalabad, Khuyan Sarwar (in the Fazilka Subdivision); and Zira and Dharamkot (in Zira subdivision). As on 31 March 1979. 1,084 inhabited villages in the District were covered under the programme. Out of the total population of the District, numbering 10,44,936, the programme served a population of 8,13,386.

The organization of the Community Development Scheme has been largely responsible for bringing about a change of outlook in all spheres of life in the rural areas. The farmers are now greatly enlightened about the latest methods of cultivation and improved agricultural practices. The community development has infused the spirit of self-help and self-reliance among the rural folk and has widened their outlook.

Integrated Rural Development Programme :- It was inaugurated in the Punjab State on 22 November 1977. Under the Programme, the emphasis is on economic development and on the creation of focal points  which will generate vigorous economic activity in the villages, leading to the total transformation of the countryside.  Initially, 585 villages—a cluster of five contiguous villages in all the 117 development blocks were scheduled for all round development. The work is to be executed in 2 phases.

The main objectives of the programmed are : to increase agricultural production by 50 per cent to provide all the villages with full and gainful employment, to set the cottage, small-scale and agro-based industries to revive the traditional rural industries and trades and to fully develop local resources in five years. To begin with, facilities provided at each focal point were a branch of a co-operative bank; a  depot for the supply of inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, feeds for cattle, poultry and piggery, an agro-service centre offering custom-hiring and facilities for repairs, a marketing yard, a shop of daily consumer’s needs, such as soap, cloth, pulses, sugar and vegetable oil, a diesel or petrol pump, a post office and a public-call office, a model high school (including balwadi); and a veterinary hospital.

In the second phase, the centres grew further and the facilities provided at the focal points are : agro-based industries (for the processing off agricultural produce); cold-storage facilities; the extension of a shopping complex; residential quarters for Government employees; water-supply; improvement in environmental sanitation; a  community centre-cum-library, with a radio-set and a television-set, a children’s park, a stadium or an open-air theatre-cinema ghar, and the beautification-of-villages entry points.

Like other district of the State, the Firozpur District has been covered under the Scheme since its inception. On 31 March, 1979, there were nine focal points in the District

Wages of Labour in the Firozpur District, 1905-06 to 1927

Year

Wages of Labour per day

Carts per day

Camels per day

Donkeys per score per day

Beats per day

Skilled

Unskilled

Highest

Lowest

Highest

Lowest

Highest

Lowest

Highest

Lowest

Highest

Lowest

Highest

Lowest

Rs

A

P

Rs

A

P

Rs

A

P

Rs

A

P

Rs

A

P

Rs

A

P

Rs

A

P

Rs

A

P

Rs

A

P

Rs

A

P

Rs

A

P

Rs

A

P

1905-06

1

0

0

0

12

0

0

4

0

0

3

0

0

8

0

0

6

0

0

4

0

0

4

0

3

12

0

3

0

0

3

0

0

3

0

0

1910-11

1

4

0

1

0

0

0

7

0

0

6

0

0

12

0

0

10

0

0

4

0

0

4

0

3

12

0

3

0

0

3

0

0

3

0

0

1912

1

3

0

0

12

0

0

7

0

0

5

0

3

10

0

2

9

0

1

4

0

1

0

0

5

12

0

4

12

0

2

2

0

1

8

0

1917

1

5

0

0

14

0

0

10

0

0

6

0

3

14

0

3

0

0

1

6

0

1

2

0

5

12

0

4

12

0

2

2

0

1

8

0

1922

1

13

0

1

2

0

0

11

6

0

7

6

4

0

0

3

4

0

1

5

0

1

0

0

5

12

0

4

12

0

2

2

0

1

8

0

1927

1

11

0

1

3

0

0

11

6

0

7

6

3

10

0

2

9

0

1

4

0

1

0

0

5

8

0

4

8

0

2

0

0

1

6

0

(Firozpur District Gazetteer, Part B, 1935 Statistical Tables, P exviii)

Rates of pay fixed for Class IV Government servants working in the Firozpur District during 1980-81

 

Serial              Name of post              Rate fixed                   Rate fixed 

No.                                                    Per                              per day

                                              Month

                                                          RS                               RS

 

        Wholesome employees

1            Granthi                                         250.00                         9.00

 

2            Dak munshi dak runner and           250.00                         9.00

     cycle dak-runner

 

3            Tailor                                           250.00                         9.00

 

4            Dhobi saais barber                        250.00                         9.00

 

5            Washing charges (per 100            50.00                          ---

      clothes)

 

6            Waterman (water carrier)  270.00                         9.00

 

7            Sweeper                                       250.00                         9.00

 

8            Man with one bullock                   300.00                         12.00

 

9            Man with one camel                      350.00                         13.00

 

10        Man with two bullocks                  350.00                         13.00

 

11        Allowance of additional                 140.00                         6.50

      bullock or camel

 

12        Cook                                           240.00                         8.00

 

13        Head cook                                   250.00                         12.00

 

14        Chowkidar                                   250.00                         9.00

 

15        Assistant cook                              230.00                         8.00

 

16        Head mochi                                  250.00                         9.00

 

17        Assistant mochi                             240.00                         8.00

 

18        Labourer                                      250.00                         9.00

 

19        Mali workman/frash/cleaner          250.00                         9.00

 

20        Khalasi                                         250.00                         10.00

 

21        Chainman/flagman/pankha 250.00                         10.00

      coolie        

                                    Part time employees

 

1    Sweeper/bhishti in judicial   10.00                           ---

       lock-up

2    Sweeper in tahsil office                   150.00                         8.00

  3.Sweeper office/ sub-offices of all departments in

    The district                           100.00                         5.00

4. Sweeper, where the volume of work is use to six rooms        115.00             6.00

5. Sweeper where the volume of work is mere then 6 rooms      150.00             6.50

6. Sweeper for post office and the Nehru Park              115.00             4.00

7. Bhishtl or water-carrier and Chowkidar except for the

    Lock-up                                                                               100.00             5.00

8. Supply contractor                                                                 55.00               2.50

9. Mali                                                                                     80.00               7.50

10. Hiring charges of cart with a bullock and a man                   420.00             16.00

11. Chairman, flagman                                                      __                  9.00

12. Mechanic                                                                                __               16.00

13. Pankha coolie (minor)                                                         155.00               6.00

14. Oilman cleaner                                                                    180.00               7.00

15. Labourer-

       (1) Male                                                                               __                 12.00

       (2) Female                                                                __                 12.00

       (3) Boy                                                                                __                    8.00

16. Skilled Labourer / Labourer            __                                15.00

       (1) Male                                        __                                15.00

       (2) Female on the border area        __                                  8.00

17. Mason or Carpenter-

      (1) Class I                                      __                                28.00

      (2) Class II                                     __                                25.00

      (3) Class III                                    __                                22.00

18. Painter-

      (1) Class I                                      __                                25.00

      (2) Class II                                     __                                22.00

      (3) Class III                                    __                                20.00

 

19. Tinsmith, skilled                              __                                20.00

 

20. Hammerman, skilled                       __                                20.00

21. Cane-weaver-

       (1) Class I                                     __                                15.00                                                                                                                               

      (2) Class II                                     __                                12.00

22.Road-roller driver                            __                                15.00

23. Truck-driver                                   __                                13.00

24. Mate beldar Khalasi skilled __                                12.00

25. Khalast ordinary                             __                                12.00

26. Hiring charges of a ceiling    22.00                           __

       fan of 48” &56”

27. Hiring charges of ceiling”                 20.00                           __

        fan of 36

28. Hiring charges of table fan   20.00                           __

29. White Washer                                __                                15.00

30. Man with a donkey             __                                15.00

31. Man with two donkeys                   __                                20.00

32. Man with three-donkeys                 __                                20.00

33. Man with four donkey                     __                                30.00

34. Blacksmith Class I              __                                20.00

35. Blacksmith Class II             __                                16.00

36. Mate                                              __                                12.00           

37. Mate Supervisor                             __                                14.00                             

38. Hammer man                                  ---                                10.00

39.      Conductor                                    ---                                9.00

40.      Tyteman  / boster / upholder /       ---                                10.00  

        Attendance fitter

41.      Ticket verifier                               ---                                10.00

42.      Molder / mistry / waterman           ---                                10.00

43.      Plough man with bullock   ---                                20.00

         and plough

44.      Sheet-metal trainee Labourer        ---                                17.00

45.      Sprayman                         ---                                12.00

46.      Halwai                                          ---                                30.00

47.      Tailor                                           ---                                15.00

48.      Piper-fitter                                    ---                                16.00

49.      Signalman                         ---                                10.00                                      

50.      Welder -             

                       

            Class I                                      --                                 15.00

            Class II                                    --                                 12.00

 

51        Car-driver                                --                                 15.00

52.       Tempo Driver                           --                                 15.00              

 

53                Shop assistant, Grade 1,           --                                   8.00

Rs. 200 per month, fixed plus                                 plus 2% comission   

 

54.       Shop Assistant, Grade II,          --                                   8.00

            Rs.175 per month, fixed plus

            ½ per cent commission

 

55.       Mahgir without jaal (net)           --                                 12.00

 

56.       Mahgir with jaal (net)                --                                 15.00

 

 

For Military/N.C.C./P.H.G. Camps only

 

                                                                        Daily wages                Daily wages

                                                                        Without                       with

                                                                        Meal                           meal

 

57        Head cook                                           15.00                           12.00

 

58        Cook                                                   10.00                             8.00

 

59        Water-carrier                                       10.00                             8.00

 

60        Labourer                                              10.00                             8.00

 

61        Sweeper                                               10.00                             8.00

 

62.       Mochi                                                  10.00                             8.00

 

63        Barber                                                  12.00                           10.00

 

64.       Halwai                                                  20.00                             16.00

 

65        Mason                                                  20.00                             16.00

 

66.       Tailor                                                   16.00                              12.00

 

67.       Dhobi (Washing charges per                 35.00                               30.00

            100 clothes)

 

68.       Surveyer                                               10.00                                8.00

 

Work done by the District Employment Exchange, Firozpur, during 1974 to 1980

 

Year        Regist-    Placing    Vacancies    Vacancies     Vacancies       Applicants 

                ration                        notified        filled up       Outstand-        on live

                                                                                                     ing            register

at the         close the year

 

 

1            2                        3                  4                       5                  6                        7

 

1974   12,684                2,861         3,923                 2,973            753                  9,487

1975   10,362                1,323         2,142                 1,461             765               12,480

1976    8,397                 1,759         2,465                 1,969             404               11,946

1977    9,246                 1,341         3,087                 1,618             573               12,214

1978   12,102                1,257         2,160                 1,454             632               15,616

1979   11,074                1,272          2,542                1,405             970                15,993

1980    9,519                    972          2,246                1,246             622                15,-95

(Source : District Employment Officer, Firozpur)                        

 

Work done by the District Employment Exchange, Firozpur, during 1974 to 1980

 

Year       Regist-    Placing    Vacancies    Vacancies    Vacancies        Applicants 

                ration                       notified        filled up       Outstand-       on live

                                                                                             ing                  register

                                                                                                                   at the close

                                                                                                                   the year

 

 

1            2                        3                  4                       5                  6                        7

                                                   

1974   5,325                112                   123                   47             394                 5,213

1975   3,694                363                   492                 191             298                4,263

1976   3,644                 422               1,150                 450             659                 4,876

1977   4,873                 643               1,227               1,014            199                 5,820

1978   4,800                 374                  577                  370            261                 5,520

1979   4,395                490                  654                   336              96                6,323

1980   5,956                453                  551                   431            143                8,582

 

(Source : District Employment Officer, Firozpur)

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER    X

 

GENERAL   ADMINISTRATION

 

(a)  Historical Background and Divisions of the District

The district administration in India is more or less a continuation of the British system of administration, which in itself can rightly be traced to the system of administration adopted by Chandra Gupta Maurya and Akbar. The Mauryan Emperor divvied the provinces of his empire into various district. Sher Shah Suri also divided  his empire into districts, called sarkars, and each sarkars into a number of paraganas unlike Akbar who divided his empire into provinces (subas) and each province into a  number of districts (sarkars) which were subdivided into parganas.  Thus the district or sarkar has all through remained an important unit of  administration.  This traditional system of administration  was not materially  changed by the British. The lowest public servant in this field was the patwari or the village accountant and the highest revenue officer in the district was the deputy commissioner or collector. The same arrangement continues up to now.

However, it is only after Independence in 1947, that new ideas of public welfare have come to inspire the administration for all-round welfare of the people. The development activities have been extended to the village  hitherto left undisturbed . New circles, called blocks, have been carved  out for development purposes. The Community Development Programme for rural development was introduced into the District on 2 October 1952. This development work has greatly added to the workload of the district officers. it has  also immensely changed the pattern of administration in the new democratic set-up, pledged to achieve the deal of a modern welfare State. In the above background, the administrative set-up of the Firozpur District is detailed in the following accounts :

Administration Divisions :--  Administratively, the District is divided into 3 tehsils, viz. Firozpur (including the sub-tehsil Gur Har Sahai), Zira, (including the sub-tehsil Dharamkot and Jalalabad) and Fazilka (including  the sub-tehsil Abohar), all of which have been made subdivision.

The strength of subdivisional officers, tehsildars and naib-tehsildars in the District is as under :

 

 

Subdivision/Tehsil                                          Number of Posts

                                                            --------------------------------------------------------

                                                            Subdivisional       Tehsildar      Naib-

                                                             Office (Civil)                            Tehsildar

 

Firozpur                                   1                                1                   3

Zira                                          1                                1                   3

Fazlika                                    1                                 1                   3

                                                     -------------------------------------------------------

District Firozpur                    3                                 3                    9

 

 

(b) District Authorities

The general administration of the District is vested  in the Deputy Commissioner, who continues to be the hub of the district administration. The first two officers who have held charge  of the District since it became a British possession, viz. M.P. Edgeworth (5 December 1838 to 16 January 1839) and  Captain H.M. Lawrence (17 January 1839 to 28 March 1841), were called Assistant Political Agent, North-West Frontier; this title was changed to the Assistant Agent to the Governor-General, North-West Frontier, wheras Mr. S.C. Starkey (24 February 1846 to 20 April 1846) was an Assistant Commissioner and Superintendent, cis-Satluj States and his successor, viz. J.T. Daniell (21 April 1846 to 1 November 1847), was Deputy Commissioner and superintendent, cis-Satluj States. From that time onwardes, the title of deputy commissioner has been in use. for administrative purposes, the Deputy Commissioner, Firozpur, is under the control of the Commissioner, Firozpur Division, Firozpur. Before  15 Augus 1973, it was under the Commissioner, Jullundur Division, Jullundar.

Even with the change in the complexion of the functions of the Government after Independence, the District continues to be the nodal point of area-administration, and the institution of the deputy commissioner has shown considrable resilience and adaptability to the constitutional,  social and economic change which has since taken place. The Deputy Commissioner continues to  be the key officer in the District and occupies  a pivotal position in  the machinery of government in the State. He has to play triple role  as Deputy Commissioner, as Collector, and as District Magistrate.

(i) As Deputy Commissioner, he is the executive head of the District in the sphere of civil administration, development, panchayats, urban local bodies, co-ordination of all governmental activities, etc.

It is through the district office that the Deputy Commissioner dischargee most of his functions. At the district headquarters, he has tow effective officers, viz. General Assistant, and District Development and Panchayat Officer. He also takes the help of other officers, e.g. District Treasury Officer, District Food and Supplies Controller, Election Officer, etc. But the nerve-centre of the whole administration at the district level is the district office, wherefrom most of the orders and directions flow out.

The district office is under the general control and supervision of the office superintendent. He guides the functioning of the different branches of the office, some temporary and others on permanent basis, depending upon the nature and extent of the work. Each branch is headed byu an Assistant who has to perform two kinds of functions-supervisory and disposal of importantcases. An assistant has one or more clerks under him.

The number of branches differ from district to district, depending upon the requiremtns in each case but the more important branches  which exist in almost all the disrict offices are :

Licensing and Passport, Bills and Nazarat, Development Branch, Miscellaneous Branch, Complaints and Enquiries Branch, Judicial Record Branch, Local Fund, Registration Branch, Copying Agency, Record and Issue Branch, Revenue Record Branch, and Revenue Account Branch.

Despite the new responsiblities and functions, the apparatus of district administration has remained basically the same iin structure, staffing patterns, control and communications, financial control, etc. The impact of modernization has had  very little effect on the administrative  set-up. Transition from the law  and order rand collection of revenue to developmental side has, however, been remarkable .

 

(ii) As Collector, the Deputy Commissioner is the fiscal agent of the Government in the District. His main functions are : supervision of the work of tehsildars and naib-tehsildars, supervision of consolidation work, checking of maintencance of land records, appointment of lambardars, inspections, inspection of girdawaris cases under the Indian Stamp Act, cases under the Restitution of Mortgaged Lands Act, recoveries of government dues, compensation to landlords, collection of land revenue, income-tax arrears, etc. remissions and relief, revision of mutations, redemption of lands under rthe Mortgage Act, land acquisition, power to fix boundary between river and estates, registration in capacity as Registrars, excise in  charge  of the treasury, survey and settlement, distribution of loans, assessment, etc.

All the branches dealing with revenue matters are under the direct  supervision of the Assistant Superintendent (Revenue and Recoreds) and he supervises the Sadar Kanungo’s Branch, District Revenue Accounts Branch, Vernacular Record Room, Copying Agency, and Rehabilitation Branch. Most of the work relating to land revenue administration is carried ono in Sadar Kanungo’s Branch. The District Revenue Accounts Branch in under the charge of an office assitant known as District Revenue Accountant (D.R.A.)

A district is further divided iinto several tehsils, to each of which a tehsildar and onoe or more naib-tehsildars and appointed.  They exercise administrative and judicial functions within the limits of their own tehsils.

 

Some bigger tehsils have a subtehsil which is under the charge of a naib-tehsildar. All the tehsils have been converted into subdivision, each of which has been placed under the charge of Subdivisional Officer (Civil), who is member either of the IAS or the PCS.

In the subdivision, the subdivisional officer performs the revenue functions of the former revenue assistant. Each tehsil is divided into a number of kanungo circles, each under the charge of a field kanungo, who is to supervise a number of patwar circles, each of which is under the charge of a Patwari.

(ii)  In his capacity as District Magistrate, the Deputy Commissioner is in overall charge of law and order administration. He is kept informed about all the imported  happenings and has to keep an eye  on the activities of different groups of people, prevent clashes between different groups and control strikes and demonstrations. He has frequent discussions with the Superintendent of Police on the methods to deal with mischief-mongers and unsocial elements. All suits on behalf of the Government are technically represented by the Deputy Commissioner who symbolizees the unity of the district, as a sort of captain of the team of the district officers. He is the head of the criminal administration and functions as a shock-absorber between the police and the public. He issues licences to exhibit cinematography and also issues petroleum (dangerous and non-dangerous) licences. The district police force and the executive magistrate work under his guidance and control.

With the separation of the judiciary form the executive, the cases relating to the Indian Penal Code are now disposed of by the judicial magistrates who work directly under the High Court. The District Magistrate is the chief prosecuting officer of the district and Public Prosecutors and appointed  by the Government in consultation with him and the District Judge. He advises the Government whether appeals are to be filed against acquittal, and issues arms licences  and no objection certificates for explosive licences. He recommends cases for passports, issues nationality certificates, gives licences for cinemas, and arranges supervision of execution of condemned men. In his capacity as District Magistrate, he also exercises powers under the Punjab Police Act. He also grants suspensions or cancellation of arms licences, hotel licences and licenses for explosives and petroleum. He is required to inspect jails. The only colourful break in this dead routine is the marriages that he performs as Marriage Officer under the Special Marriage Act.  The control of District in police matters over the district is no doubt complete but he works under the supervision of Commissioner.

 

The District Magistrate is magistrate of the Ist Class and, in the discharge of his duties, he is assisted by Subdivisional Magistrate, and other Ist, 2nd and 3rd class magistrates. The main functions of the District Magistrate are : inspection of police stations and supervision over the prevention and detection of crime; distribution of work among various courts; head of the prosecuting agency; enforcement of measures for the maintenance of law and order, and the security of  State under the Criminal Procedure Code, the Punjab Security of State Act, Prevention of Detention Act, etc; declaration and correspondence  relating to mass media; Superintendent of Police’s Weekly Crime Diary, revision, pardon, discharge, etc. issuing of commission notices, etc.; issuing of licences; control over jails; appeals, transfers; annual confidential reports; separation of judicial and executive functions; miscellaneous duties, etc.

Besides his above-mentioned duties as Deputy Commissioner, Collector and District Magistrate, the Deputy Commissioner plays an important role in the community development programme, as representative of Government, and as regards other miscellaneous duties, which are discussed hereunder.

During the British period, the district work was nearly autocratic, involving very little consultation among equals and equally little complex staff work. It was designed to effect three purposes----land revenue, law and order and general administration which can no be termed ‘traditional district administration’, as primarily it was regulatory. One of the tasks that the country faced after Independence was  to transform the colonial atmosphere of the administration into one which supports administration for development.  There was the expansion in the duties and responsibilities of the Deputy Commissioner, and the change, in the emphasis and equality from the regulatory to the developmental in an altogether different context of work, was brought about “to make him one of the most harassed and hard pressed of all government employees. The expansion of the governmental responsibilities  in the sphere of development and welfare has brought in its wake a re-definition of the Deputy Commissioner’s role and responsibilities.

 

The Deputy Commissioner continues to enjoy the prestige of being the representative of the Government in the district. His main duty is to keep the government informed of the activities in the district, the political trends, and other information necessary for the security of the State. He is expected to know the people of the area very intimately, so that he may be able to know their problems well. Being a local head of the district, the Deputy Commissioner is able to visit the local places and decide things in a dispassionate way, which saves the government from considerable embarrassment at a later stage. He is a man with many masters,  “Answerable and responsible to all, expected to serve them all with equal impartiality and courtesy”.

His role as an agent of the government at the district level comprises the following duties; role in planning, liaison officer and co-ordinate, ceremonial, policy making role, execution of general policies of government, Deputy Commissioner vis-a-vis elected representatives of the people, family planning, national savings, public relations and grievances, social contacts, role in agriculture, etc.

Apart from the above functions, the Deputy Commissioner performs certain duties of miscellaneous nature which are; undefined executive functions, acting as a guardian under the Wards Act, as Additional Settlement Commissioner, replies to questions raised in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the State Vidhan Sabha, food and supplies, census, elections role in emergency, Defence of India Rules etc.

Subdivisional Officers (Civil) :- Before 1963, an assistant or extra assistant commissioner was posted to every district under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner to act as Revenue Assistant. He devoted  the maximum of his time to the revenue business of the district. But now his functions are performed  by subdivisional officers (Civil) with the help of tehsildars and naib-tehsildars).

The subdivisional officers exercise direct control over tehsildars and their staff in their respective  subdivisions. The normal channel of correspondence between the deputy commissioner and the tehsildar in a subdivision is the subdivisional officer.

The subdivisional officers are vested with the powers of Deputy-Commissioner  in  regard to co-ordination work  in  their respective  subdivisions without affecting the later’s position, authority  and  effectiveness,  as  the executive  head  of  the district.  This decentralization of powers has been done for the quicker disposal of work and to remove the difficulties faced by the  public.  This step also enables the Deputy Commissioner  to concentrate   on  more  urgent   and  important  matters.    The subdivisional  officer is a miniature District Magistrate  (i.e. Subdivisional  Magistrate) in his subdivision.  He gets all sort of  co-operation and help from other government officers in  the subdivision for the smooth running of the administration and for the successful implementation of the developmental schemes. though he can correspond directly with the Government, yet on important policy matters, he routes his correspondence through the Deputy Commissioner. He also performs executive duties  in the subdivision with respect to development, local bodies, market committees, motor taxation, the renewal of arms licences, etc., and attends to revenue duties, executive and judicial work (original and appellate) and maintains law and order.

Tehsildar and Naib-Tehsildars :-  The tehsildar enjoys a good prestige in his tehsil. He is not expected to hear any civil suits but his magisterial work is important. His efficiency, more than that of any other officer, in the district, depends on his capacity for revenue work. No degree of excellence in other respect can a tone for failure to direct and control  properly the patwari and kanungo agencies  to collect the revenue punctually where the people are able to pay, “to point out promptly to the collector any failure of crops or calamity of the season, which renders suspensions or remissions necessary, and to carry out, within his own sphere, the other necessary duties connected with land administration.”

 

There is no substantial difference between the duties of tehsildars and the naib-tehsildars, except that the former have been invested with the  powers of assistant collector, class I, under the Punjab Land Revenue Act with regard to the partition cases only, whereas the naib-tehsildars are the assistant collector of class II for all purposes. They differ in criminal powers also, the tehsildars are normally class II and the naib tehsildars magistrate III.

Their main task being revenue collection, the tehsildars and naib tehsildars have to tour their tehsils and sub-tehsils intensively. They play an important role in the execution of development plans, the construction of roads, drains, embankments, attending to soil conservation and reclamation, the payment of streets, the filling of depressions and the tackling of  matters connected with rural reconstruction. They also help the block development and panchayat officers in securing the maximum co-operation of the people in rural areas for development work.

The tehsildars and naib-tehsildars are assisted by a sadar kanungo and a naib sadar kanungo, who are in change of the records at the district headquarters, and 3 office kanungos, one each at tehsil headquarters, 12 field kanungos, 2 agrarian kanungos at Zira  and Fazilka, one special kanungo, thur and sem, at district headquarters, 227 patwaris and 1 patwari moharrir.

 

‘Kanungo’ and Patwaris :-  Each tehsil is divided into a number of kanungo circles, each under the charge  of a field kanungo, who is to supervise a number of patwar circles, each of which is under the charge of a patwari.

Each kanungo’s charge comprises about 15 to 20 patwar circles (about 80-90 villages), each of which is under the charge of a patwari. The duties of a kanungo are of supervisory nature. He is “a man of status”,  being an important and the only link between the tehsil officer and the  Patwari. Each tehsildar has been provided with an office kanunogo, whose main duty is to consolidate the information.  Similarly, at the  Deputy Commissioner’s office, there is a sadar kanungo who, inter alia, is in charge of the patwaris’ and kanungos’ establishments and carries out inspections of patwar circles and kanungos’ establishments and carries out inspections of patwar circles and kanungos, in addition to those by tehsildar. For the purpose of making the information contained in the revenue records  accessible to the litigating public and to the courts, a special kanungo or patwari moharrir has been appointed in all the districts. A field kanungo is responsible for the work and conduct of the patwaris in his charge and it is his duty to report bad work or neglect of duty or misconduct on the part of any patwari for the orders of the revenue officers, to whom he is subordinate.

The lowest, but very important, field official is the patwari.  The Firozpur District is divided into 227 patwar circles, each of which is looked  after b a patwari, who prepares and maintains village records and revenue statistics. The patwari’s duties include the conducting of surveys, field inspections, the recording of crops, the revision of maps of reports relating  to mutations, partitions, revenue or rent, taccavi, etc. Under the orders  of the collector, he prepares the records of rights. He is also required to render assistance in the relief of agricultural distress or census operations. He reports the crimes and prepares maps to illustrate police enquires. The preparation of dhal bachh (papers regarding distribution of revenue over holdings) is special duty.

Lambardars :-  The unit of revenue administration in the Punjab is the estate which is usually identical with the village. Of these estates, large and small, a tehsil, as a rule, contains from two to four hundred villages. Each of them is separately assessed to land revenue which is the business of the Deputy Commissioner to collect, and has a separate record of rights and register of fiscal and agricultural statistics, which it is his duty to maintain. All its proprietors are by law jointly responsible for the payment of its land revenue, and, in their dealings with Government, they are represented by one or more headmen or lambardars.

            To make is still more effective before the abolition of the institution of zaildars in 1948 after Independence, the clusters of villages which were united by by the bond of tribal or historical association or of common interest, were usually formed into circles or zails, over each of which was  appointed a zaildars chosen by the deputy commissioner from among the leading village headmen. The zaildars received their emoluments from Government by a deduction from the land revenue, whereas the headmen are paid by the communities which they represent by a surcharge of five per cent on the revenue. Together they formed a valuable unofficial agency, through which the deputy commissioner and the tehsildar conveyed the wishes of the Government to the people and secured the carrying out of their orders.

            In making appointments  of lambardars, the collector has to pay regard, among other matters, to his hereditary claims; the extent of property in the estate possessed by the candidate; his personal influence, character, ability and freedom from indebtedness; the strength and importance of community, from which the selection of a headman is to be  made; and services rendered by himself or by his family  in the national movements to secure the freedom of India. In order to enable him to perform duties better, it is desirable that he should be the representative of some large class of landholders. It is an elementary principle in lambardari cases that the collector’s choice is not to be  interfered with, unless it suffers from some illegality or impropriety. As regards the dismissal of village officers, the Financial Commissioners, Revenue, would properly interfere if there had been such denial of  natural justice as would be involved in dismissing a man without hearing him or if the offence for which he had been dismissed was not one of those which under land  revenue rules justify his dismissal. But where there is no such material irregularity or manifest illegality, the Financial Commissioner, Revenue, generally does not take notice.

            A lambardar occupies a key position in the village administration. Besides the collection of land revenue, his main function is to keep watch over law and order in his area and report to the nearest police-station in the case of any breach of law. He is assisted in his work by the village chowkidar.

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