Vol. 10 · pages 1046–1050

1025 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Chowdhries and Assistant Chowdhries in the Horticulture Division ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The scales of pay with rates of increments are as follows : Chowdhries—Rs. 20—1—35—2—55 (for old entrants). Rs. 25—1—45 (for new entrants). Assistant Chowdhries—Rs. 20—1/2—30 (for old and new entrants). Prof. N. G. Ranga : What is the particular post of a Chowdhri ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : A sort of head mali. Mr. Manu Subedar : Do Government expect a Chowdhri to live on Rs. 20 a month in the present day living conditions ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : They get dearness allowance also. Mr. Manu Subedar : What do they get ? Rs. 14 or Rs. 8 ? How much ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I have not got the information with me. Mr. Manu Subedar : Will the Government go into the question as to whether industrial class Government employees can really exist on the pay they are getting ? Prof. N. G. Ranga : How much are the malis paid ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I want notice. 435 * Appointments Made by Superintendent Horticultural Operations, Central P. W. D. 384. Mr. Ahmed E. H. Jaffer : Will the Honourable the Labour Member kindly state, communitywise, viz., Hindus, Muslims, Other Minority Communities and Scheduled Castes, the number of persons appointed by the present Superintendent, Horticultural Operations, Central P. W. D., New Delhi, from the 1st November, 1943, to the 28th February, 1946, as clerks, chowdhries, assistant chowdhries, lorry drivers, fitters, timekeepers and mechanies ? * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central). Vol. IV of 1946,29th March 1946, p. 3135.

1026 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : A statement is laid on the table. Statement showing the number of persons appointed by the Superintendent, Horticultural Operations, New Delhi from 1st November 1943 to 28th February 1946 Hindus Muslims Schedule Castes Other Minority Community Clerks … 9 2 1 Chowdhries … … 1 … … Assistant Chowdhries … 1 … … … Lorry Drivers … 2 … … … Fitters … 2 1 … … Time-Keepers … 1 1 … … Mechanies … 1 … … … 436 * Muslim Officers in Labour Department 1385. Mr. Ahmed E. H. Jaffer : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state if it is a fact that in the Labour Department the Secretary, Joint Secretary and the Deputy Secretary are all Hindus ? Does the Honourable Member propose to appoint a Muslim Officer in charge of the staff in that Department ? If not, why not ? (b) How many subordinates in the Central Public Works Department were promoted as Sub-Divisional Officers during the last five years ? Are there any Muslims ? If so, how many, and in what proportion ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) No. The Secretary is a European and there are two Muslims, one ex-officio Joint Secretary and one Deputy Secretary. These two officers also deal with staff questions. The latter part of the question does not arise. (b) During the last five years 385 subordinates were promoted as S.D.Os…….. out of which 56 were Muslims. This works out to 14.5 per cent. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1946, 29th March 1946, p. 3135.

1027 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Prof. N. G. Ranga : When will the Honourable Member consider the appointment of an Indian Secretary to this Department, in view of the fact that for a number of years past, there has been no Indian Secretary in this Department ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : This is a matter which rests with the Selection Committee. Prof. N. G. Ranga : Who selects the Secretaries of Departments ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I want notice. Prof. N. G. Ranga : Is there a selection committee which deals with this question ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : There is a committee to which the matter must be referred and the selection is made only from an approved list. Mr. Ahmed E. H. Jaffer : Does it mean that the Honourable Member has no hand in the appointment ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Not until there is a vacancy, I am sure. 437 * Seniority of Certain Officers for Purposes of Allotment of Government Residences 1389. Sri M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour member be pleased to state if it is a fact that during the period of emergency certain offices of the Central Government (Secretariat and Attached Offices) were moved from Delhi/Simla to outstations, for want of office accommodation ? (b) Is it a fact that the staff on return with the offices have not been allowed to count their previous service for purposes of entitlement to Government quarters on the ground that they moved to a station other than Delhi/Simla and that in their cases their seniority for entitlement to accommodation was reckoned from the date of subsequent arrival at Delhi ? (c) Is it a fact that the Secretariat Staff working at Calcutta have been allowed to count offices in regard to allotment of residential accommodation been made ? * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1946, 29th Match 1946, p. 3140.

1028 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (d) If so why has this sort of discrimination between the staff of the secretariat and attached Offices in regard to allotment of residential accommodation been made ? (e) Are Government aware that these people have been penalised for no fault of their own in regard to allotment of quarters, as they had to move under orders of the labour Department in the interest of the State ? (f) Do Government propose to consider the desirability of restoring the suspended lines in respect of these individuals and allot them accommodation according to their date of joining offices at Delhi / Simla ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Yes. (b) The correct position is as follows : Some of the staff were allowed to count their previous service if the period of absence from Delhi was not more than one year and if they hold liens on Government residences in Delhi. This qualifying period was subsequently reduced to a maximum of six months. (c) Yes, but only the staff posted in a Secretariat Department at Calcutta or transferred from a Secretariat Department in Delhi/Simla to a Secretariat Department in Calcutta prior to April 1st, 1945. (d) There has been no discrimination between the staff of the Secretariat and attached offices except in the case of Calcutta where a Branch Secretariat of a Government of India Department was located and transfers between the Headquarters and the Branch Secretariat were frequent. With the issue of the revised rules, this concession has been withdrawn w.e.f. 1st April, 1945 and persons transferred to a Secretariat Department at Calcutta after this date are not allowed to count their previous service for allotment in Delhi. (e) Government are aware that some officers have been prejudicially affected by the Rules, but this is inevitable in the working of Rules designed formally to secure the efficiency of administration by reducing movements to a minimum. (f) Government do not propose to alter the rules in this respect.

1029 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 438 * Supply of Material to Sardar Sobha Singh to build Quarters in New Delhi 1390. Sri M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please stale whether it is a fact that Sardar Sobha Singh was given material by Government to build quarters in New Delhi ? (b) What is the cost of the material supplied, and under what arrangement ? (c) How many flats has he built ? What is the rent of each flat, how many of these flats are occupied and how many are empty ? (d) Are Government granting any subsidy ? If so, in what manner and where it is granted to the said Sardar Sobha Singh ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) I presume that the Honourable Member refers to the residential flats on the junction of Cornwallis Road and Humayun Road, New Delhi, built by S. B. Sir Sobha Singh. If so, the reply is in the affirmative. (b) The cost of material supplied is about Rs. l½ lakhs. The contractor is to bear the entire cost of the material supplied to him. (c) The number of flats so far constructed is 72. There are two types of flats ? A two-bed-room flat and a single-bed-room flat. The rent of the former has been provisionally fixed at Rs. 220 p.m. and of the latter at Rs. 175 p.m. Provisional rent has been fixed as complete information about the cost of construction has not been supplied by the landlord. Out of the 72 flats, Government have taken over 65 flats of which 59 are already occupied and 6 have been allotted to officers on the waiting list. (d) No. Prof. N. G. Ranga : Why have Government a soft corner for this prince of contractors Sardar Bahadur Sir Sobha Singh ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I do not see any soft corner here. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1946, 29th March 1946. p. 3141.