Emerging Challenges of Labour in Small and Medium Towns in India, A Case Study of Betamcherla, Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Small and Medium towns play a critical role in the complex process of urbanisation in India. At present about 40% of the total urban population resides in these towns. Also the towns are self-sustained in nature. In view of it, this paper focuses on the economic scenario in terms of the labour market in a small census town, Betamcherla in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The study intends to identify the various types of engines of economic growth and the structure of the labour market through the types of workforces, their socio-economic scenarios and also the initiatives taken by the government for support of their livelihoods. The paper further focuses on the impact of migration which needs to bring limelight on such settlements. Disparity of the income measured through Lorenz curves which results in less than 20% of income concentrated with few sections of the people. The study also identifies a shift in the sourcing of labours, which previously shows people from local areas, whereas in the present scenario labours are being outsourced from other states. These fluctuations in the labour sector are analysed to understand the character of these settlements which act autonomous. The paper suggests these settlements should focus on the labour incentives in the manufacturing sector apart from the primary sector unlike typical Gram Panchayats and the recognition of these as transition centres should be done for required utility and services provisions for the labour and industry.