SUPPLY OF LABOUR IN INDIA

A look at the industrial map of India will show that there are certain states/areas, which in spite of large concentration of industrial units suffer from labour deficiency; where as there are industrially depressed states/areas where a large surplus labour force is available. It is from these depressed areas that labour often migrates to the industrial centers. In course of a study , Dr. Lokananathan has pointed out , “dibrugarh and tea plantations in Assam; Howrah-Burdwan industrial belt in West Bengal; Jamshedpur-Hirapur iron industry zone and the coal belt in Bihar and contiguous M.P region ;

1. Kanpur, Meerut, and Saharanpur business- cum industrial region in Bombay- Surat- Baroda and Ahmadabad belt, and Bombay-Thane-Pune region; Wardha-Nagpur belt in Maharashtra; Indore-Gwalior region in Madhya Pradesh. Madras-Coimbatore region of Tamil Nadu and Mysore-Bangalore region in Karnataka is highly industrialized region where there exists an acute deficit of labour”. He further observed, “ Every state has its depressed regions , Garo and Cachar hills in Meghalaya and Assam, Midnapur in Bengal ; South Bihar and Chhota Nagpur plateau in Bihar ; Eastern regions of Uttar Pradesh .

1. Kangra and Mahindergarh districts in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana respectively; Barmer in Rajasthan; Balaghat in M.P; Panchamahal in Gujarat; Ratnagiri and southern regions in Maharastra ; Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh; north Arcot in Tamilnadu; and coorg in Karnataka. The first type of areas are characterized by a high production of non-agricultural labour, more industries and, therefore, high industrial and agricultural wages. On the other hand, in the latter areas the proportion of non-agricultural is low, they are less industrialized and, therefore, agricultural and industrial wages are low.