Class I ( above Rs.20,000)                    28

Class II (below Rs.20,000)                    42

Total                                                            70

Furniture and Sanitary contractors     ...        130 (no classification).

(b) It is regretted that no information is available because the names of Hindus and of the members of Scheduled castes are indistinguishable. Moreover, it has not been the practice to enquire from contractors about their community.

Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj : With reference to the last part of the Honourable Member's reply, will the Honourable Member make the necessary inquiries and get full information on the subject ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I will.

Babu Baijnath Bajoria : Do the Government appoint contractors also on a communal basis ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I am only answering a question which calls for information.

Babu Baijnath Bajoria : I want a reply to my question. Is it the intention of Government to appoint contractors on a communal basis, so many Muslims, so many Europeans, so many scheduled castes and so on?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : That is not a question that arises now. I am only giving information.

Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra: Are building materials also produced and purchased on a communal basis ?

(No answer).

10

^[f.10]  Applications under Payment of Wages Act by or on behalf of Employees of Federal Railways

1. Mr. Muhammad Azar Ali : Will the Honourable Member for Labour please lay on the Table a statement showing the applications presented to the authorities appointed under the Payment of Wages                   

Act, 1936, by or on behalf of the employees of Federal Railways Between the 1st April, 1937, and the 31st August 1942, showing inter alia: (a) the application number;

(b) the particulars of the parties, i.e., name and address ;

(c) allegations in the application;

(d) amount of the relief claimed ;

(e) findings of the Authority, and qualifications of the Authority ;

(f) if appeal preferred, the result of the appeal together with the full description of the appellate court, and

(g) if revision preferred, the result of the revision together with the particulars of the Divisional Court ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The information asked for is not readily available and its collection would involve an amount of time and Labour that would not be justifiable in war time.

II

^[f.11] Summons Fees under Payment of Wages Rules for Delhi Province

2. Mr. Muhammad Azar Ali : Will the Honourable Member for Labour please refer to Rule 18 of the Payment of Wages (Federal Railways) Rules, 1938, and to Rule 21 of the United Provinces Payment of Wages Rules, 1936, and Rule 21 of Delhi Province Payment of Wages Rules, 1937, and state the amount of the process fee for summoning the opposite party by the Authority and by the court which is prescribed for the Delhi Province ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Government are advised that no process fee is leviable for issuing notices to the opposite party under the rules mentioned. This is, however, a matter of interpretation of the rules.

12

^[f.12]  Paucity of Muslim Gazetted Officers in the Printing and Stationery Office

23. Sir Abdul Halim Ghuznavi : (a) Will the Honourable Member for Labour be pleased to state how many Gazetted Officers there are in the Printing and Stationery Office of the Government of India ? Are there any Muslims among them ? If not, why not ?

(b) Is it a fact that recently the vacancy of a Second Assistant Controller in the Central Stationery Office was filled up by a Hindu Sub-deputy Collector from Bengal, ignoring the legitimate claims of Muslim candidates and in violation of the Government circular regarding the maintenance of a ratio for Muslim appointments ?

(c) Do Government propose to take any steps to increase the existing ratio of Muslim Gazetted Officers for safeguarding the interest of Muslims ?

(d) Is it a fact that Government propose to create shortly one post of Assistant Controller and another of Superintendent in the Central Stationery Office ? If so, will they be pleased to reserve these appointments for Muslims ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) Presuming that the Honourable Member refers to the Stationery and Printing Department as a whole, the number of gazetted officers is 24 of which two posts are at present held by Muslims. The last part does not arise.

(b) Yes. The reply to the second part is in the negative.

(c) All gazetted posts in the Stationery and Printing Department are selection posts appointments to which are made by selection on merits in accordance with existing rules. Assurance to increase the proportion of Muslims to such posts will not be in conformity with those rules.

(d) There is no proposal to create any additional post of Assistant Controller in the Central Stationery Office. A temporary post of Superintendent has recently been sanctioned for that office for a period of less than three months. Orders regarding communal representation do not apply to the filling of temporary vacancies of such duration. The post in question will not accordingly be reserved for a Muslim.

Mr. Lalchand Navalrai: May I know from the Honourable Member if these officers are selected by the Public Service Commission or by the higher officer themselves ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I must have notice of that question.

Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : May I know from the Honourable Member if appointments are made by promotion ; and in case of promotion are recruitments made on a communal basis or otherwise ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The communal ratio does not apply to promotions.

Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : Therefore, may I know whether in this case the officers are taken by promotion ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Yes.

13

^[f.13]  Paucity of Muslims in Calcutta Central Stationery Office, etc.

24. Sir Abdul Halim Ghuznavi : (a) Will the Honourable Member for Labour please state how many Superintendents and Head Assistants there are in the employ of the Central Stationery Office, the Calcutta Press and the Central Forms Store located in Calcutta ? What proportion of these appointments are held by Muslims ?

(b) What is the total number of Assistants and clerks employed in the Central Stationery Office, the Calcutta Press and the Central Forms Store located in Calcutta separately ?

(c) What is the proportion of Muslims in each office and in each cadre ?

(d) How many new posts of Assistants have been created in each of the above three offices and how many of them were filled by Muslims ?

 (e) If the number of Muslims in employ is not commensurate with the ratio laid down by the Government circular, why has no attempt been made to rectify things ?

(f) Is it a fact that some junior Hindu clerks with minimum educational qualifications and meagre office experience were promoted to the cadre of Assistants in the Central Stationery Office during the year, thereby superseding the claims of senior Muslim clerks ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a), (b), (c) and (d). A statement containing the required information is laid on the table.

(e) The Government circular applies to direct recruitment and is being followed. No question of rectification arises.

(f) No. As posts of Assistants are filled by selection on merit the question of supersession of senior men does not arise.

Statement showing the Number of Assistants and Clerks employed the proportion of Muslims in those categories and the Number of posts of Assistants created owing to war in the Central Stationery Office, the Central Forms Store and the Calcutta Press.

(a) Two Superintendents and ten Head Assistants. None of them is a Muslim.

(b) and (c).

Note.—Figures given against the Central Stationery Office include the number of Assistants and clerks employed in the Stationery Store Branch to which the communal orders were applied from the 18th June, 1942.

14

^[f.14]  Working Hours of the Central Stationery Office

25. Sir Abdul Halim Ghuznavi : (a) Will the Honourable Member for Labour please state if it is a fact that the working hours of the Central Stationery Office have been extended by thirty minutes ?

(b) Is it a fact that a concession of thirty minutes allowed to Muslim employees in the Central Stationery Office during the last Ramzan was disallowed ? If so, why ?

(c) Is it a fact that the working hours in certain branches of the Central Stationery Office have been further extended by sixty minutes ? If so, are Government prepared to sanction overtime allowance to the employees of those branches for the extended time ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) Yes.

(b) Yes. The concession was previously allowed on the analogy of total Government orders. It was disallowed in 1942 as the Government of Bengal withdrew the concession in view of earlier closing hours.

(c) Yes. As a temporary measure for a short period only. To tide over the rush of work in connection with Defence supplies the staff of certain branches was required to remain in office one hour more. It is not customary to pay for such additional overtime to nonindustrial staff.

15

^[f.15]  Announcement re Grant of Inadequate Dearness Allowance to Workers

Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim) : The next one is also in the name of Mr. Jamnadas Mehta. He wishes to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, the extreme discontent created among nearly three lakhs of workers in the employment of the Government of India by the action of the latter in failing to consult their respective Trade Unions, before announcing a very meagre and inadequate grant of Dearness Allowance to the workers concerned. When was this announcement made ?

Mr. Jamnadas M. Mehta : On the 23rd January this year.

Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim) : After the last Session ?

Mr. Jamnadas M. Mehta : Yes, Sir.

Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim): Who is the Member in charge?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Labour Member) : I do not think that the failure to consult Trade Unions is a matter of urgent public importance.

Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim) : Why ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is not a definite matter, because there has been no obligation placed upon Government by any......

Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim) : That may be an answer on the merits. This announcement was made on the 23rd January ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: That is so.

Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim) : The allegation is that there is considerable dissatisfaction among the workers who number three lakhs. That suggests that it is rather an important public matter. I hold that the motion is in order. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I object to the motion.

Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim) : As objection has been taken will those who are in favour of leave for the motion being granted rise in their places ?

(More than 25 Members stood up.)

As not less than 25 Members are for leave being granted, the motion will be taken up at 4 p.m. or earlier, if the business on the agenda is finished earlier. I lake it that that is the desire of the House.

16

^[f.16]  Desirability of Raising the Standard of Labour Wages

86. Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state what is the standard by which the wages of Labourers are determined ?

(b) In view of the fall in the purchasing power of a rupee from sixteen to six annas, have the Government of India taken any action to enforce proportionate rise in the daily wages of Labourers ? If not, why not ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The question of wages is generally a matter of contract between the employer and Labour.

(b) The rise in the cost of living, which amounts to a fall in purchasing power, has not been uniform throughout India.

The Government of India has not taken action to enforce increase in wages or to grant any specific dearness allowance for the following reasons—

(1) Government has not as yet accepted the policy of fixing a minimum wage by law. That is a matter which needs to be considered before any compulsion is enforced.

(2) There are no index numbers throughout India which can be relied upon to measure the actual cost of living and consequently no specific dearness allowance can be prescribed.

(3) The rise in the cost of living not being uniform, it is not possible to lay down from the Centre a policy which could be applicable to all Provinces having regard to the diversity of circumstances obtaining in them.

The appointment of Labour Commissioners and the provision made for adjudication under the Defence of India Rules in the case of disputes occurring in war time are steps taken by Government to ensure fair conditions of work for Labour.

Mr. N. M. Joshi : May I ask when Government propose to undertake legislation for fixing up the minimum wages ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: It is not possible to undertake any such legislation during the war period.

Mr. N. M. Joshi : May I ask what is the difficulty created by the war period to undertake legislation of this kind ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: It is a controversial legislation.

Mr. Hooseinbhoy A. Lalljee : Has any attempt been made to find out the cost of living or the Index number ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : There is only one province where Index numbers are framed, namely, Bombay.

N. M. Joshi : May I ask whether Government realises that the Act prohibiting the strikes and lock-outs is a step which necessitates a dispute and whether such a necessity of creating a dispute the war time is in the interests of war effort?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I do not think the premise is correct.

Mr. N. M. Joshi : May I ask which part of the premise is correct.

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The fact that we have on the statute book a legislation does not necessarily involve that it will give rise to disputes as mentioned by the Honourable Member.

Mr. N. M. Joshi: May I ask whether the Government does not realise.

Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim) : That is arguing.

Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : Will the Government try to find out the price Index of bigger towns having a population of more than 200,000 ? This information is rather important for us.

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Unless we have an Act which enables the Government to collect statistics, it is not possible to have Index numbers prepared throughout India.

Mr. N. M. Joshi : May I ask whether the Honourable Member is aware that there is an Act of the Central legislature which enables the Government to collect statistics ?

Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim) : Next question.

17

^[f.17]  Discontentment among Factory Labourers

87. Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : (a) Is the Honourable Member for Labour aware that there exists great discontentment among the factory Labourers on account of the fact that the capitalists who are making abnormal profits do not give an adequate share to their Labourers in the form of rise in their wages ?

(b) What action has the Honourable Member taken to force the capitalists to give a share of their profits to persons by whose Labour the profit is achieved ?

(c) Is the Honourable Member aware that the unrest  in the factory Labour is not due so much to political consciousness as it is due to economic coercion of their employers ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Where there is, as now, a tendency for prices to rise and where profits are being made, Labour is always likely to claim an increase in emoluments Government are aware that such claims are being put forward.

(b) A considerable portion of the profits of industry goes to Government in the shape of Excess Profits Tax. Out of the part left to the employers, many employers are distributing bonuses. Government has not found it necessary at present to take any action, for the purpose indicated. (c) The question is not understood.

Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : Have the Government found out the names of those factories which are giving the bonus to their

employees ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Yes, we have. If the Honourable Member wants the information, it can be supplied to him.

Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : Are all these factories giving this bonus or only some of them ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : If my Honourable friend puts down a question, I can give the detailed information on the point.

18

^[f.18]  Household Budget of a Labourer

88. Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad: (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please lay on the table the normal house-hold budget of a Labourer for 1943, who cams eight annas a day and who has to support his family which normally consists of six persons ?

(b) What is the grain consumption of such a family and what price is to be paid?

(c) What action have the employers of Labour taken to feed their Labourers ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) There is no uniform budget for a Labourer throughout India. It is regretted also that no family budget figures for 1943 can be supplied for any area. The statistics about family budgets in Bombay in some previous years can be supplied if the Honourable Member so desires.

(b) In the absence of statistics it is not possible to say what the grain consumption of a Labourer's family is. Diets and prices vary in different areas.

(c) A number of employers have opened grain shops or canteens and the Government of India are advising the main All-India Employers Associations that they regard such opening as very desirable. The attached statement gives a summary of information so far available with the Government of India.

Statement

(The information is the latest available but is not up-to-date)

Madras.—Thirty-one factories have grain shops ; 13 of them have been opened by employers and 18 by workers' Co-operative Societies, which are in several cases assisted by employers. In 50 factories employers have laid in reserves of essential food articles against an emergency ; in six factories arrangements have also been made to supply cooked food to workers in an emergency.

In two factories employers are running canteens for workers.

Bengal-In 146 factories there are grain shops and emergency reserves are also held by them. Besides emergency grain stocks atone are held by 35 factories. Arrangements for supply of cooked food during an emergency exist in 73 factories.

Bombay/Punjab—Detailed information is not available. But many employers have opened grain shops and have made arrangements as far as possible to hold emergency stocks of grains.

Bihar.—Seven employers, including the leading employers, have opened grain shops for their workers and are maintaining as far as possible emergency stocks of foodstuffs. One prominent employer has advanced capital to a Co-operative society of workers for running grain shops and has also provided storage accommodation at reduced rent.

United Provinces.—All the large Cawnpore factories have grain shops and emergency reserves are laid in as far as possible.

Central Provinces and Berar.—About 14 grain shops have been opened by employers ; one employer is helping a trade union to open such a shop. About seven prominent employers and one Co-operative society have made or are making arrangements for storing food grains for an emergency.

Sind.—Seven leading employers in Karachi and Hyderabad (Sind) have opened grain shops. Employers of all essential services have been required to keep within the work premises emergency stocks of foodstuffs with cooking arrangements and prominent employers have complied.

One leading concern at Karachi has set up a canteen for supplying cooked food and milk to its employees.

Assam.—Employers of industrial Labour have made adequate arrangements for supply of foodstuffs by opening grain shops, etc.

Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad: May I know whether the Labour Department has any hand in the fixation of the prices for the poor people ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : No.

19

^[f.19] Measures for Making Essentials Available to Labourers

89. Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to state what action his department has taken to safeguard the interests of Labourers in getting their essential of life specially food stuffs ? If none, why ?

(b) What steps, does the Honourable Member propose to lake to ensure that the poor people get enough to cat and prices comparable to their wages ? If none, why ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) and (b). The question has been engaging the attention of Government for some time and is now considered in the Food Department. Instructions have been issued to Provincial Governments to give priority of supplies to essential civil personnel, including industrial Labour engaged in essential employments.

20

^[f.20]  Measures for Ameliorating the Economic Condition of Labourers

90. Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to state what steps he has taken to ameliorate the economic condition of Labourers ?

(b) In what manner does he propose to safeguard the interests of Labourers ?

(c) Is he prepared to reorganise the unions of Labour and to place them in a position to safeguard their own interests ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Both in legislative and executive action Government have striven to ensure fair conditions to Labour. A copy of Press Note issued when I met the Press is attached for Honourable Member's information. It will give some idea of the ameliorative provisions. If the Honourable Member desires any more detailed information on specific points, it will be supplied.

(b) This is already replied to under (a).

(c) It is not for Government to reorganise Labour unions.

^[f.21] Labour Welfare in Wartime India

In view of the appointment of a number of Assistant Labour Welfare Officers who will soon be posted to important industrial areas, we may take stock of what is being done for Labour's betterment in wartime India.

The old concept of a government's job being to govern, to maintain law and order, has given place to a new ideal in which the responsibility of an administration for the material and cultural well-being of the people is recognised, in India Labour is mainly a provincial subject and we at the Centre have heretofore been responsible mainly in securing uniformity in Labour legislation and adherence to such of the International Labour Office Conventions as are practicable for India. Our legislation though comprehensive has been confined more to conditions of service and industrial relations than to such matters as wages and welfare.

In wartime some curtailment of Labour's rights is necessary to ensure continuance of production hut in the very process of effecting those necessary curtailments we have been able to give Labour certain big advantages. Thus under the Essential Services Maintenance Ordinance workers must stick to their jobs. Simultaneously this ordinance guarantees men in essential industries fair terms of employment. Provision has had to he made to ensure the best use of the technical personnel, but here too statutory provision ensures their conditions of service being fair. So also while strikes without notice have been made illegal, adequate provision has been made for adjudication and. power taken to enforce the results of such adjudication.

While therefore some restrictions have been imposed on Labour, there has been a development of Government's powers to ensure fair conditions of employment, the influence of which is likely to survive.

Another matter in which developments resulting from the war are bound to have a lasting effect are the training schemes of the Labour Department and the novel experiment of sending skilled workers to England for further training. The Bevin Boys whose period in England has given Indian Labour an insight into English working class conditions and organisations, have themselves benefited by the training to such an extent that they now on the average earn two and a half times their former salaries. The scheme for training raw hands in India which will train 70,000 skilled workers by June 1943, must have even greater results as this large increase in the skilled Labour force of the country must be of the greatest value to India's post-war industrial revival.

Coming to our new Labour Welfare organisation, the best indication of the spirit which animates the Department is the choice of a Labour Welfare Adviser made by my colleague, the Honourable Sir Firoz Khan Noon. Mr. R. S. Nimbkar has been a Labour leader all his life. He has been in and out of prison constantly in the cause of Labour. His work for the Bombay Girni Kamgar Union, one of India's biggest unions, has shown his capacity as an organiser of workers, while he has served his home town and India as a member of the Bombay Municipal Corporation and as a delegate to the lnternational Labour Conference where he was one of a team led by Sir Firoz Khan Noon. We are fortunate to have him now as a Government worker and you may be sure we will use his services to the utmost. So successful has been his work so far that we have now appointed seven Assistant Labour Welfare Officers to help Mr. Nimbkar. For the past three or four days these new Labour Welfare Officers have been here in Delhi in the Labour

Department learning something of the work before them. Shortly they (and an eighth officer, who is expected to join soon) will be sent to various areas where it is hoped they will maintain contacts on behalf of the Central Government with Labour. Their duties will be, on the one hand, to keep the Central Government apprised of Labour conditions and feeling and particularly of grievances of Labour in different parts of India and, on the other, to explain to the workers the policy of the Central Government in Labour matters. They can also help to secure the co-operation of the workers in bringing A.R.P. arrangements to the highest pitch of efficiency.

The work of these officers will, it is hoped, bring the Central Government into closer touch with such Labour aspects as concern them (Labour is of course largely a provincial subject) and will help in the development of one of the main planks in Government's policy......... that is tripartite collaboration between employer, employee and Government. We held our first tripartite conference last August—the Standing Committee of that conference will meet in December and we hope that these meetings will be held frequently in the future and lead to a well developed Labour policy throughout this country.

Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad: With reference to part (c) of the question, may I ask whether the Government are contemplating to introduce any legislation on this point ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Yes, Sir.

21

^[f.22]  Communal Composition of the Engineering Service in the

Central Public Works Department

100. Maulvi Muhammad Abdul Ghani: Will the Honourable member for Labour please state :

(a)      the number of officers of the Engineering service selected and appointed in the Central Public Works Department from the Public Works Department of every province during the last 3 years with their nationalities and creed ;

(b)      the criterion, if any, for such selection and appointments ;

(c)       whether the Home Department Resolution of 1934 regarding communal composition of services applies to such appointments ;

(d)      if the reply to part (e) be in the negative, the reason and the order of the Government, if any, on the subject ; and

   (e) the total strength of officers in the Engineering service of the Central Public Works Department and the number of Muslim and Sikh officers of such services?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The collection of this information to cover officers of every grade would involve an amount of time and Labour which would not, in the opinion of Government, be justifiable in war time. The number of gazetted officers is, however, 83. Their nationalities are: Five Europeans, rest Indians. Creeds: Hindus 61, Muslims 10, Sikhs 2, others 10.

(b) In the case of three appointments, which have been made on a permanent basis, the selection of the officers was made in consultation with the Federal Public Service Commission and with due regard to the requirements of the Home Department Resolution of 1934 regarding communal representation in the public services. The rest of the appointments are all temporary, the officers concerned having been obtained on loan from Provincial Governments for the execution of certain specific works. In these cases, the officers were selected and placed at the disposal of the Government of India by the Provincial Governments themselves, in accordance with the requirements of the Government of India indicated to them from time to time.

(c) No, so far as the temporary appointments mentioned in the answer to clause (b) are concerned: Yes, so far as the permanent appointments referred to above are concerned.

(d) The Home Department Resolution of 1934 does not apply to persons who are on deputation for a definite period and are expected to revert to their substantive posts thereafter.

(e) The total strength of gazetted officers is 174, of whom 18 are Muslims and 8 Sikhs. Figures of non-gazetted staff cannot be readily given.

Maulvi Muhammad Abdul Ghani : May I know the number of officers recruited from Bihar Public Works Department in the Central Public Works Department ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I require notice of that.

22

^[f.23]  Monopoly of Export of Mica to the Joint Mica Mission and Metal Reserve Company of the United States of America

104. Babu Baijnath Bajoria : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to state whether it is a fact that export of Mica is allowed only when effected by the Joint Mica Mission and Metal Reserve Company of the United States of America and none else is allowed to export Mica to any country outside India ?

(b) If the answer to part (a) be in the affirmative, for what reasons and on what conditions has such a monopoly of export of Mica been granted to the above mentioned foreign interest ?

(c) Is the Honourable Member aware that such restrictions of export have resulted in these concerns securing Mica in India at much lower rates and making enormous profits for themselves by selling at much higher rates in America and other allied countries ?

(d)       Are these concerns Government concerns or private companies ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) No.

(b) Does not arise.

 (c) The prices at which the Joint Mica Mission secures mica have been fixed with the prior approval of the Government of India. The prices are in the opinion of the Government of India fair and reasonable. The prices offered by the Mission are almost invariably higher than or equal to the standard prices ruling before the Mission began to operate. Furthermore the Mission is prepared to buy all mica of merchantable quality which is offered to it. This covers practically the whole range of useful mica and may include mica which would previously not have found a market at all. The Metals Reserve Company is not now buying mica in India. It bought certain quantities of mica in 1940-42 under contracts with the Government of India and the large increase in production in Indian mica in 1941 was largely the result of these purchases. The prices which it paid were fair and reasonable. Neither the Joint Mica Mission nor the Metals Reserve Company are profit-making concerns.

(d) The Joint Mica Mission is a Government concern. It consists of three British and three American members appointed by the Government of Great Britain and of the United States of America. One of the British members is Chairman. The Mission buys mica for the Ministry of Supply in the case of the United Kingdom and for the Metals Reserve Company of the United States of America in the case of the United States of America. The Metals Reserve Company is a corporation created by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation of the United States of America under section 5 (d) of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act and is a duly organised agency of the Government of the, United States of America.

Babu Baijnath Bajoria : With regard to para. (a) of the question, the Honourable Member has said " No ". Does it mean that other supply firms are allowed to export mica from India ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : My Honourable friend will find answer to that in the next question.

Babu Baijnath Bajoria : But you have already said " No " to part (a) of my question.

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Yes.

Babu Baijnath Bajoria: That means that other firms will be allowed to export mica from India.

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : There is no prohibition ; there are certain conditions prescribed.

Babu Baijnath Bajoria : As regards (c), is the Honourable Member aware that the Joint Mica Mission have raised the standard of quality and reduced the rate thereby ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : No. The answer to that also will be found in the next question.

23

^[f.24]  Plan for Providing Against Mass—

Unemployment of Indian Labour

^[f.25]  103. Mr. Govind V. Deshmukh : Will the Honourable Member for Labour please state if he has planned any scheme to provide against mass unemployment of Indian Labour so that it may enjoy freedom from want of necessaries of life ? If so, what ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: No formal scheme to provide against mass unemployment has been planned.

In War time the scope for employment has increased enormously. As regards post-war conditions, the Reconstruction Committee appointed in the Commerce Department will devote attention to them.

24

^[f.26]  Monopoly of Export of Mica to the Joint Mica Mission and Metal Reserve Company of the United States of America

105. Babu Baijnath Bajoria : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state if it is a fact that when the Joint Mica Mission assumed control of export of Mica from this country, they gave an undertaking to the Government of India that they would purchase the entire production of Indian Mica ?

(b) If the answer to the part (a) be in the affirmative, what steps are Government taking for the implementing of this undertaking ?

(c) Is the Honourable Member aware that the Joint Mica Mission is purchasing only scheduled qualities of Mica and refuses to purchase other qualities, e.g. lower grade splittings and Block Mica, and many a time refuses to purchase even certain scheduled qualities, which has resulted in large stocks of these qualities remaining unsold in the hands of Indian merchants ?

 (d) What steps are Government taking so that the industry may be able to dispose of its stocks of qualities not purchased by the Joint Mica Mission ?

(e) Are Government prepared to permit the export of Mica by private firms to the United States of America and other Allied countries ? If not, why not ?

(0 Are Government aware that since the Joint Mica Mission is controlling the purchase and export of Mica, the production of loose Mica splitting has considerably decreased and several thousands of workers have been thrown out of employment due to the closing of numerous factories and home splitting centres ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) The Joint Mica Mission has not assumed control of export of mica from this country. It has, however, undertaken to purchase all mica offered to it which is of merchantable quality and which is trimmed and graded to the usual recognised trade standards.

(b) Government have no reason to suppose that the Mission is not implementing the undertaking.

(c) The Mission is only purchasing scheduled qualities of mica ; no other qualities are merchantable among the United Nations. Such qualities can however be exported to neutral countries provided they do not conflict with any general orders issued by Government. The Mission never refuses to purchase scheduled qualities of mica provided they are up to the Mission's standards. The Government of India are not aware that there are any large stocks of scheduled qualities of mica remaining unsold.

(d) Qualities of mica not purchased by the Joint Mica Mission are not merchantable in the United Nations. Government are accordingly not taking steps to assist the industry to dispose of such stocks. In the unlikely event of such stocks being merchantable in neutral countries, Government have no objection to the issue of licences for the export of such stocks provided they do not conflict with any general orders issued by Government.

(e) Export of mica by private firms is not prohibited. The United Nations will however not import mica by private firms but will only import mica purchased by the Joint Mica Mission. The United Nations require all merchantable mica which the mica industry in India can produce. The sale of mica to the United Nations has been canalised through the Joint Mica Mission because the United Nations including the Government of India consider that a single purchasing agency buying on the spot provides the quickest and easiest means of providing mica in the very large quantities now required by the United Nations.

(f) The United Nations already have considerable stocks of mica splittings and their principal requirements are now of Block mica. Nevertheless the Mission continues to buy all mica which comes split from the mines. They will not however buy mica which is split from old dumps and such mica is no longer merchantable among the United Nations. Such mica can however be sold in neutral countries provided such sale does not conflict with any general orders issued by Government. Government are not aware that any factories have been closed, although possibly a number of home splitting centres may have been closed.

Babu Baijnath Bajoria: As regards part (a), again I repeat the question that there is a demand for Mica of other varieties in America and that is not being allowed to be exported.

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I am not aware of that.

Babu Baijnath Bajoria : Will you make inquiries ? If there is a demand in the U.S.A. of the qualities which this Mission does not buy then private firms should be allowed to export those qualities to America.

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I will make inquiries.

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^[f.27]  Fixation of Prices of Grades of Mica by the Joint Mica Mission

106. Babu Baijnath Bajoria: (a) Is the Honourable the Labour Member aware that the Joint Mica Mission fixes the prices of the various grades of Mica without any consultation with the representatives of the industry ?

 (b) Is the Honourable Member aware that the Joint Mica Mission raised the standards considerably, compared to those of the Metal Reserve Company who bought through the Director, Geological Survey of India ?

(c) Are Government aware that the Joint Mica Mission has reduced its purchasing prices by 10 per cent to 30 per cent from the ruling prices in the market and the factories are compelled to sell their products at their rates for want of any other outlet ?

(d) Is it a fact that the Government of India accepted the reduction in prices as mentioned in part (c) above ?

(e) Are Government prepared to appoint an advisory committee consisting of representatives of mine-owners and factory-owners to advise the Joint Mica Mission on the question of fixation of prices of different qualities ? If not, why not?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) Before fixing the prices of various grades of mica, the Joint Mica Mission have invariably consulted the mica industry, including representatives of individual firms both in Bihar and Madras.

(b) The Joint Mica Mission has not raised the standards considerably. It has however raised the standards slightly in certain cases although no change has been made in splittings and films. Wherever the standard has been raised the price has been raised in proportion. Taking pre-Mission standard and price as 100, the Mission standard where it has been raised is 105 and the Mission price 110. The range of standards required by the Metals Reserve Company when buying through the Director of the Geological Survey of India was small compared with the very wide range of scheduled standards being dealt with by the Mission.

(c) The Joint Mica Mission has not reduced its purchasing prices by 10 per cent to 30 per cent.

(d) Does not arise.

(e)       No. The prices offered by the Mission were fixed after consultation with the representatives of the mica industry and with the approval of the Government of India. They are in the opinion of the Government of India fair prices and the Government of India see no justification for the appointment of an Advisory Committee.

Babu Baijnath Bajoria : What objection can the Government have to appoint an advisory committee consisting of representatives of mineowners and factories? That will strengthen their hands and that of the Mica Mission for purchasing the requirements of Mica.

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The answer as stated in part (c) is that the Mica Mission does fix the price after consultation with the representatives of the Mica industry.

Babu Baijnath Bajoria : I do not think that is correct.

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^[f.28]  Irregularities in Payment of Wages to Railway Staff

109. Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to state when the Payment of Wages Act, IV of 1936, was made applicable to the Railways in India,

(b) Is it a fact that several irregularities in the payment to staff have been noticed by the Labour Inspectors ?

(c) Is it a fact that the Conciliation Officer (Railways) and the Supervisor of Railway Labour, who is the Inspector under the Act, generally tries to report these irregularities to the administrations concerned for relief, if any could be given ?

(d) Is it not a fact that in several cases of late payments, etc., relief can be given to the affected employees when once the provisions of the Payment of Wages Act have been violated ? Are prosecutions launched in such cases to act as a deterrent ? If not, why not ?

(e) Have any prosecutions been launched against the Railway Paymasters or the administration ? If so, does the Honourable Member propose to lay a statement of such cases on the table of the House ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) 28th March, 1937.

(b) Yes.

(c) The irregularities detected are brought to the notice of the Railway Administration for rectification.

  (d)Relief can be given under section 15(3) of the Act. But no prosecutions are launched as it has always been possible to remove defects so far discovered by administrative action. (e) No prosecutions have been launched.

Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : Why are the payments made late ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : In a huge administration such delays are bound to occur.

Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : What does the administration do in the case of late payments ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : They make the payments.

Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : Only make the payments, or do they do anything further ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : What does the Honourable Member expect the administration to do ?

Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : To avoid these occurrences, what does the Government do ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I have no doubt that they must be trying to avoid these delays.

Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : But what do they do ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I do not know. If the Honourable Member wants an answer, he may put down a specific question.

Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : Will the Honourable Member direct the administration to see that such things do not recur and that warnings be issued.

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Yes, certainly.

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^[f.29]  High Rates for Contracts for Construction of

Aerodromes at Gaya Nawadih

^[f.30]  143. Mr. K. C. Neogy: (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state whether it is a fad that contracts for the construction of certain aerodromes were sanctioned by the Chief Engineer, Central Public Works Department, originally at very high rates against which the Provincial Public Works Department was compelled to lodge protests ?

(b) Is it a fact that as a result of such protests a committee was appointed to examine these rates, and the committee reduced the rates to about one third of what were agreed upon by the Chief Engineer ?

(c) Is it a fact that the contractors also agreed to reduce the rates correspondingly proving thereby that the rates originally awarded were abnormally high ?

(d) If the answer to (e) above be in the affirmative, what action do Government propose to take against the Chief Engineer who was responsible for sanctioning the original rates ?

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) Rates for the construction of the aerodromes in question were accepted by Chief Engineer on proposals put forward by the Executive Engineer through the Superintending Engineer. The rates were high but reliable contractors were not obtainable for work of the dimensions required at lower rates at the time the work was started. A report was received through the Divisional Commissioner complaining that these rates were unduly high.

  (b) and (c) Almost a month before the receipt of any protests from the total officers the Chief Engineer had instructed the Superintending Engineer to make an enquiry and subsequently deputed his Personal Assistant and Financial Adviser to make a further enquiry. By that time conditions had become easier and it was possible to enforce reductions in the rates previously accepted. As a result some rates were considerably reduced, but no rate was reduced to one-third of the previous rates. The reductions accepted by the contractors were nil in respect of certain works, 15 per cent in respect of main runway, 50 per cent in respect of ordinary buildings, and between 30 per cent and 60 per cent in the case of special buildings. The contractor has however, refused to accept the reduced rates proposed in the case of domestic buildings which have therefore been taken away from him and given to another contractor at reduced rates.

(d) There is no case for taking any action against the Chief Engineer.

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^[f.31]  High Rates for Works of Landing Grounds in New Delhi Cantonment

^[f.32]  144. Mr. K. C. Neogy: (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state whether it is a fact that the rates for works of Landing Grounds in the new Cantonment, New Delhi, were sanctioned and awarded at high levels originally, but later on they had to be reduced, and the contractors are now doing the works at these reduced rates ?