Question

What can be done so that more non-farm production activities can be started in villages?

Answer 1

Some of the non-farm activities which are undertaken in a village like Palampur are given below which could be easily replicated in other villages, provided such activities are non-existent in other villages.

Dairy – A Common Activity in Palampur Village

• In Palampur, many families are involved in the activities related to dairy.
• The excess milk is sold in a nearby village named Raiganj.
• Raiganj has a milk collection and chilling centres, which were set up by two traders of Shahpur Town.
• The milk collected from here is transported all the way to far away cities and towns.
• Buffalos are fed with Bajra and Jowar which grow during the rainy season and the various kinds of grass are also fed.

Small Scale Manufacturing in Palampur Village

• In the village of Palampur, currently less than fifty people are involved in manufacturing.
• Manufacturing in Palampur village takes place on a small scale by using simple and easy methods of production, unlike the scenarios prevalent in large cities and towns.
• Labourers are rarely hired. It is usually done with the labour provided by the families.

Shopkeepers – Palampur Village

• In Palampur village people are involved in trade activities.
• The traders in Palampur village purchase the goods from wholesale markets located in towns and cities and sell those goods in the village.
• In Palampur village stores a wide range of goods are sold such as clothes, pencil, pen, notebooks, candles, batteries, toothpaste, soap, biscuits, oil, tea, sugar, wheat, rice.
• Villagers whose houses are located near to the bus stand, convert a small part of their house into small shops and sell eatables.

Transportation

• Many people are involved in transport services. Wide varieties of vehicles are used on roads connecting Raiganj and Palampur village.
• There are a variety of vehicles on the road connecting Palampur to Raiganj such as traditional bullock carts, trucks, tractors, jeeps, tongawallahs, Rickshawallahs.
• People are ferried using these modes of transportation and in return the transporters get paid the ferry charges.

Other Non Farming Activities in Villages

• Many other non-farming activities could be carried out such as teaching, giving more importance to music, art and culture so that it could also be a good source of entertainment for villagers and in turn the artists can make use of their talents for a living. By opening schools, teaching could be another important non farming activity.