CHAPTER - II BANKING PROFILE OF KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT 2.1 INTRODUCTION Kanyakumari is a district of Tamil Nadu state and is the southernmost land area of the main land sprawled over an area of 1672 sq.km, occupying 1.29 percentage of the total extent of Tamil Nadu. The district is the second most urbanized in Tamil Nadu next only to Chennai and ahead of Coimbatore and is the second smallest of the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu. The district has a varied topography with sea on three sides and the Western Ghats bordering the northern side. The District was rated as one of the India s six hidden gems by National Geography. The district offers undulating valleys and plains between the mountain terrain and thesea coast, so closely inter woven with Temples and churches and other edifices which are of great tourist importance. Kanyakumari District is bordered on the west by Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala state and by Tirunelveli of Tamil Nadu to the North and East. It is sometimes referred to as Land End. The district is bordered by Laccadive sea on the south eastern, the southern and south western sides. The district lies at geographical co-ordinates between 77 o 15 and 36 and 8 o 35 north. The present Kanyakumari District was, formerly, the southernmost part of the erstwhile princely State of Tirvancore. Nature s bountiful gifts of majestic hills, dales and peaks as well as the extensive and colourful coast line, undulating valleys and plains between the mountains and the sea coast, so closely inter woven 66
with temples and other edifices of the area impressed Lord Connemera so much that called this region a fairy land. The southern division of the state of Travancore consisted of four taluks viz, Thovalai, Agusteeswaram, Kalkulam and Vilavancode. The people of these taluks mostly spoke Tamil. After India s independence there began a peoples movement demanding the merger of the Tamil taluks with the Madras state (the present Tamil Nadu). Intensified agitation resulted in the constitution of the state Re organization Commission in 1956. Based on the recommendations of the commission, the Indian Parliament passed the state Re organization Act in march 1959, according to which the four taluks of Thovalai, Agusteeswaram, Kalkulam and Vilavancode were constituted into a new district of Tamil Nadu called Kanyakumari District on 1 st November 1959 with Nagercoil as its head quarters. Kanyakumari District Map 67
2.2 HUMAN RESOURCES This district with an area of 1684.17 square kilometers is densely populated, that is poyons per square kilometer. The number of females for every 1000 males works out to 994. Area, Population, Literates - Sexwise by Blocks and Municipalities Sl. No Name of the Blocks/ Municipalities Area (sq.km) Population Literate Persons Male Female Persons Male Female 1. Agastheswaram 143.35 115188 56778 58410 85970 44282 41688 2 Rajakkamangalam 135.49 127325 63980 63345 92573 48516 44057 3. Thovalai 360.91 97802 49117 48685 71075 37722 33353 4. Kurunthancode 109.54 168810 85460 83350 119818 63016 56802 5 Thuckalay 127.41 162019 81739 80280 117437 61607 55830 6 Thiruvattar 88.37 159182 80261 78921 109262 57402 51860 7 Killiyoor 138.86 151034 76515 74519 105231 55695 49536 8. Munchiri 71.45 175454 88584 86870 116522 61656 54877 9 Melpuram 27.57 173426 86422 87004 120296 63380 56916 10. Nagercoil Municipality 19.37 190084 94834 95250 152274 78393 73881 11 Padmanabapuram 6.47 19269 9680 9589 14961 7875 7086 12 Colachel 5.18 24305 12320 11985 16822 8731 8091 13 Kuzhithurai 5.15 19226 9467 9759 14740 7513 7227 Sources: www.censusindia.gov.in and AD of statistics, 2011 Statistical Hand Book 68
Block Profile within Kanyakumari District District S.No. Block Head Quarters 1. Agastheeswaram Perumalpuram 2. Rajakkamangalam Pazhavilai 3. Thovalai Bhoothapandy 4. Thiruvattar Thiruvattar 5. Kurunthancode Kurunthancode 6. Melpuram Pacode 7. Munchirai Munchirai 8. Killiyoor Tholayavattam 9. Thuckalay Azhiamondapam AD of statistics, 2011 Statistical Hand Book Municipal Profile within Kanyakumari District S.No. Municipalities Head Quarters 1. Nagercoil Nagercoil 2. Padmanabhapuram Thuckalay 3. Kuzhithuri Kzhithurai 4. Colachel Colachel CLIMATE AND RAINFALL TheKanyakumari District enjoys a favorable agro climatic conditions suited to the growth of different varieties of crop. Semi arid tropical monsoon type of climate prevails in the plains. In the plains, the maximum and minimum temperatures are 37.5 o C and 25.7 o C respectively. Heat becomes intense in April and shoots further up in May unless moderated by rains. The agro-climatic 69
conditions prevailing in the Kalkulam and Vilvancode Taluks differ from those in Thovalai and Agasteeswaram. Hence the paddy varieties grown in the second crop season in Thovalai and Agasteeswaram Taluks are grown in the Kalkulam and Vilvancode Taluks during the first crop season. The proximity of the Western Ghats and the sea as well as the South West and North East Monsoons greatly influences the climate of the district. The seasonal showers caused by the south west and north east monsoons as well as the Winter and Summer rains account for the average annual rainfall of 1352.5mm. The average rainy days are normally 85.9 days. It is significant that next to the Nilgiris District, Kanyakumari District has recorded the highest annual average rainfall. 2.3 BANKING NETWORK Banking industry is the nucleus of a district s economy due to various needs of all people. There are only a few scheduled and non scheduled banks during early in 1960s in the district. After the nationalization of banks, Kanyakumari District has become one of the well banked districts of Tamil Nadu. The district has 140 branches of public sector banks (PSBs) 66 branches of private banks (PBs) and 39 branches of co-operative banks. There is one branch for a population of 6179. The banking net work is adequate for the district. 70
BANKING NETWORK IN KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT AS ON 31.03.2014 Sl. No. of Branches Name of Bank No. Urban S. Urban Rural Total 01 SBI 4 12 4 20 02 SBT 3 12 7 22 03 IOB 7 11 17 35 04 CB 6 7 2 15 05 UBI 1 1 1 3 06 CBI 4 1 1 6 07 SYB 1 4 1 6 08 PNB 2 1 0 3 09 INB 3 10 4 17 10 BOB 1 1 0 2 11 BOI 1 0 0 1 12 VB 1 1 0 2 13 DB 1 0 0 1 14 ALB 1 0 0 1 15 UCO 1 0 0 1 16 BOM 1 0 0 1 17 Corp B 1 1 0 2 18 ANB 0 1 0 1 19 OBC 1 0 0 1 Sub Total 40 63 37 140 01 TMB 2 18 8 28 02 CSBL 1 1 0 2 03 FBL 3 5 4 12 04 DLB 2 1 0 3 05 KVB 1 0 0 1 06 LVB 1 0 0 1 07 ICICI 1 1 0 2 08 SIB 3 0 0 3 09 CUB 1 1 0 2 10 AXIS 1 0 0 1 11 PGB 0 3 5 8 12 HDFC 1 1 1 3 Sub Total 17 31 18 66 01 KDCC 15 0 5 20 02 TNCSARD 0 17 0 17 03 TAICOB 1 0 0 1 04 PCB 1 0 0 1 Sub Total 17 17 5 39 01 TIIC 1 0 0 1 Total 75 111 60 246 01 Primary Agri. Coop Banks 0 0 114 114 Source: Banking Statistics, 2014 71
OCCUPATIONAL PATTERN Agriculture is the main occupation of the people. Most of the people are engaged in Agriculture sector in the district. Next to agricultural sector the industrial sector provides higher employment opportunities. The percentage of health department and white color jobs are comparatively low. The rest of the working population is engaged in self employment. Occupational pattern of the district S.No. Occupation Percentage 1. Agriculture 50.2 2. Industrialist 16.9 3. Health 10.0 4. Govt. Job 08.4 5. Others 14.5 AD of statistics, 2014 Statistical Hand Book Industries Kanyakumari District has only a few large scale industries. However, there are a large number of small scale, tiny scale village, handicraft and cottage industries. The district offers good scope for rubber and cashew based unit as well as handicraft and cottage industries. The following six large scale industries are located in the district. a. Kanyakumari District Co-operative Spinning Mills Limited. b. Moraji Borexe Limited (Chemically treated rubber wood) c. Nagammal Spinning Mills Limited. 72
d. Indian Rare Earths Limited (Mineral sand) e. Vasantham Mono Firm Limited f. Konam Latex, Palavilai During 2001-11 small scale industrial units to the tune of 996 were registered with District Industries Centre. About 10000 industrial units such as small scale industries, villages and cottage industries 59 Handicraft units provide employment opportunities. The important activities under small scale industries are cashew production, Metal product, electronic machinery and apparatus, garment units, paper products, rubber, engineering and printing. Match works, furniture wooden timber mills, oil crushing, steel and aluminium, untensiles bricks and foot wear are also the important industrial units. Following is the cumulative number of small scale industries units registered upto 31-03- 2011 is 1, 11,994. 1. There are 7718 cottage industries units registered upto March 2011 with eighty primary weavers cooperative societies which are affiliated of K.K.District Central Cooperative Bank. About 13700 cotton looms are registered with these societies of which 10500 looms are active. 2. There are 45 industrial units functioning in the industrial estate of Konam, Nagercoil. 3. There are 8388 handicraft units registered upto March 2011. 4. About 300 nylon fishnet manufacturing unit are functioning in the district although out of which only 98 are registered. 73
2.4 EDUCATION AND LITERACY As for as, education is concerned Kanyakumari District is not much backward. There are so many educational institutions functioning in the district to cater to the educational value of the people. As per 2011 census report the literacy rate in the district is above 98 percent. The details regarding the educational institution in this District are given below Educational Institutions in Kanyakumari District S.No. Educational Institutions No. of Institutions 1. Pre primary schools 200 2. Primary schools 350 3. Middle schools 160 4. High schools 155 5. Higher secondary schools 135 6. Art and science colleges 19 7. Teacher s training schools 11 8. Library and reading room 160 9. Engineering colleges 19 10 Polytechnic colleges 13 11. ITI s 10 Statistical Hand Book, 2014 EMPLOYMENT STATUS Employment in agriculture Kanyakumari district s economy is an agriculture-based one.agriculture and allied sectors offer employment opportunities in the rural areas. Ploughing, 74
sowing and harvesting are the main avenues of agricultural employment. The rate of wages paid to the agricultural labour is not based on the wages fixed by the Government. But at present high wages are paid to the agriculture labour in rural areas. Employment in animal husbandry and fisheries Employment in animal husbandry is based on cattle-rearing and farm work. Rearing sheep and milking animals is the main income-oriented works among the rural people. This yields a short-term high income to the people below poverty line. The Animal Husbandry Department has engaged so many people under daily wage works in this district. This district has a vast seashore area. As such, marine fishing and small boat fishing have also their own contributions to make towards the district s economy. Thousands of people have taken to fishing for their livelihood. Employment in mining and forestry-based activities It is ascertained that nearly 4000 workers are being engaged in quarry activities and nearly 15,000/- of workers are engaged in rubber plantations in forest areas. Employment in rural industries and other manufactures Rural employment in Kanyakumari District is based on small scale industries like rubber plantations, construction and brick works. The economy in rural employment is comparatively low. Village entrepreneurs are engaged in making coir products, weaving handloom cloth and making bricks. 75
Employment in Services and other activities In Kanyakumari District, Christian denominations and private service organizations have been running educational, medical and industrial institutions. These service organizations have generated employment opportunities to thousands of people. Employment and unemployment scenario, seasonality and related issues In Kanyakumari District most of the people are educated and they arecapable of taking up any kind of work or self-employment for their daily bread.so, an employment problem has not arisen in this district. 76