AGRICULTURAL WAGES IN BENGAL AND BIHAR 73 moved between 81 and 89 in West Bengal in all the years between 1962-63 and 1971-72 with 1961-62 as the base.2 In the Dufferin enquiry, Bankura district was mentioned as a centre of chronic poverty. An official study of the economic conditions of agricultural workers in 1972 in the district of Bankura revealed an average earning per member of family per day at 0.33 paise when per capita daily income of agricultural labourers was estimated at 0.34 in Birbhum, 0.52 in Nadia, 0.31 in Malda and 0.43 in 24 parganas. A full meal was valued at 0.75 paise in the Bankura survey. Data indicate a really dismal picture and calls for a deep probe into the basic structure of the economy. DURGAPRASAD BHATTAGHARYA RAMA DEB ROY (MALAKAR) 1 For both the periods, growth rate is determinded from the relation Y = oce ^ where Y represents rice equivalent and t time. ^ A V Jose, "Trends in Real Wage Rates of Agricultural Labourers, 1956-57 to 1971-72", Economic and Political Weekly, 30 March 1974.