Income and Expenditure Pattern of Women Beedi  Workers in Radhapuram Taluk of Tirunelveli District,  Tamilnadu, India

R.Thanga Selvan; Dr. D. Jacqulin Pon Mabel

Volume : III, Issue : VII, July - 2013

Income and Expenditure Pattern of Women Beedi Workers in Radhapuram Taluk of Tirunelveli District, Tamilnadu, India

R. Thanga Selvan, Dr. D. Jacqulin Pon Mabel

Abstract :

One of the important unorganised industries especially in rural areas is beedi making industry. More than 80 percent of the beedi making centres are rural in nature. Therefore, beedi making is considered to be a rural–based industry. Cheap female labour is largely available in these rural areas. Radhapuramtalukis a rural area occupies a dominant place in the production of beedi in TirunelveliDistrict of Tamil Nadu, India. This is the reason the study has been carried out in Radhapuram.The Government of India has appointed many commissions to look into the problems of beedi workers. The first commission was appointed in 1933, and it was called Royal commission on Labour. The report submitted by the commission clearly stated the exploitative working conditions of the beedi workers leads to poor socio economic standard of beedi workers in India.These are the reports induced the researcher to undertake a study on identifying income and expenditure pattern of beedi workers. The main objective of the study is to explore the socio economic condition of women beedi workers and ways and means of improving their standard of living. The study also highlights the educational qualification, marital status, residence, type of family, savings, borrowings and economic position of women beedi workers in RadhapuramTaluk, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu. Through this research it is learned that even though beedi rolling is an alternative employment opportunity to the women in the rural area they are able to earn a substandard income compare to other sectors. This is due the exploitation of the company’s management. They are able to survive because of their other family member’s contribution. The women workers are treating this work as a part time job though they spare most of their valuable resources like time, effort and health. Considering the amount of time taken and also the nature of the work, the wages paid to them are very low and therefore it is suggested that the minimum wage rate should be increased. If fair wage system is enforced in the beedi industry the socio economic condition of the beedi workers will certainly improve.This result is based on the survey carried out among randomly selected 110 samples of female beedi workers.