Vol. 10 · pages 306–310

289 MULTI-PURPOSE DEVELOPMENT OF DAMODAR VALLEY The Conference agreed that the entire staff engaged on further investigation of dam sites should work under the technical direction of the Central Technical Power Board so that unified control of the preliminary operations could be ensured. It was further decided to invite four engineers from the U.S.A. to advise on the design and construction of the first two dams to be built under the proposed unified scheme. The engineers would constitute a Technical Mission and should arrive, if possible, in India early next year. It was hoped that by that time the required data would be collected and available. While the ultimate intention is to constitute a Damodar Valley Authority for the administration and carrying out of the Scheme, the Conference decided that, as an interim measure, the Central Government should appoint a high-ranking Administrative Officer to co-ordinate all preliminary action and rapidly to push through investigations connected with the proposed Project. It was agreed that investigation should be undertaken simultaneously for the various other problems connected with the scheme. The Irrigation Departments of the Bengal and Bihar Governments, in consultation with the Central Irrigation, Waterways and Navigation Commission, should investigate the best methods of utilising the water made available for irrigation. Other subjects to be investigated include the development of power demand, including the setting up of nursery stations, anti-erosion works, navigational, geological and the water supply aspects of the scheme and the lay-out of transmission lines. The following representatives of the Central Government and the Government of Bengal and Bihar attended the Conference :— Government of India. —Mr. H. C. Prior, Secretary, Labour Depart ment ; Mr. D. L. Mazumdar, Deputy Secretary, Labour Department; Mr. M. Ikramullah, Joint Secretary, Supply Department; Mr. H. M. Mathews, Chairman, Central Technical Power Board ; Mr. W. L. Voordin, Hydro-Electric Member, Central Technical Power Board ; Mr. C. Coates, Deputy Secretary, Supply Department; Mr. J. R. Harrison, Deputy Coal Commissioner. Government of Bengal.—Mr. O. M. Martin, Adviser to H. E. the Governor, Communication and Works Department; Mr. R. L. Walker,

290 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Adviser to H. E. the Governor, Finance, Commerce, Labour and Industries Department; Mr. B. B. Sarkar, Secretary, Communication and Works Department; Rai Bahadur S. K. Gupta, Chief Engineer, Irrigation Department, West Bengal; Mr. Man Singh, Superintending Engineer on Special Duty, Damodar Scheme ; Major M. Jafar, Director of Public Health and Mr. Aziz Ahmed, Joint Secretary, Post-War Reconstruction Department. Government of Bihar. —Mr. S. M. Dhar, Development Commissioner and Mr. W. G. Caine, Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Power. „„

51 * Housing of India’s Industrial Workers The need to accelerate the provision of housing for India’s industrial workers, was emphasised at the seventh meeting of the Standing Labour Committee which was held recently in New Delhi. The Hon’ble Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Labour Member, Government of India, presided. The Committee resolved that a sub-committee should be appointed to consider the following matters relating to housing for workers :— (a) Whether there should be a Building Fund for the housing of workers, and the manner in which it can best be raised, and in particular the manner in which the cases of those employers who have already provided housing can be dealt with ; (b) the basis on which the workers can be required to pay rent; (c) the minimum standards required for workers houses ; (d) the most suitable manner of administering any fund which becomes available (whether from Government, employer or worker) for the housing of workers ; and (e) the facilities that arc required to be granted by the Central and Provincial Governments and local authorities to facilitate housing schemes for workers. The sub-committee should be composed of two representatives of the Central Government, two representatives of provinces, two representatives of Indian Stales and three representatives each of employers and employees including representatives of Municipalities and Municipal workers. Holidays With Pay The Standing labour Committee also discussed draft rules relating to * Indian Information, December 15, 1945, p. 464.

292 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES holidays with pay tentatively framed by the Central Government, under the Factories (Amendment) Act, 1945. There was a general agreement on the desirability of amending the Workmen’s Compensation Act so as to include in the definition of workmen, to whom the act is applicable those drawing Rs. 400 a month. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Central and Provinicial Governments, Indian States and Chamber of Princes, Organisation of Industrial Employers, Employers’ Federation of India, All-India Trade Union Congress, Indian Federation of Labour and other employers and workers. zz

52 * State’s Obligations to Labour Presiding over the Seventh Labour Conference, which will in future be called the Indian Labour Conference, held in New Delhi on November 26, the Hon’ble Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Member for Labour, struck a balance-sheet of the State’s obligations to labour and urged legislation for raising Indian labour standards to the international level. Taking stock of Government action on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Labour and the ratification of I.L.O. conventions Dr. Ambedkar said there were actually only ten recommendations which were still outstanding, whereas India has yet to ratify 19 out of the 63 Conventions. “But”, the Labour Member pointed out, “this is due not so much to the unwillingness of the Government” but to “the rule which requires that a Convention must be adopted without change or modification. It should be possible”, remarked the Labour Member, “for the I.L.O. to draft a Convention so as to provide for stages.” Welcoming the gathering, Dr. Ambedkar Said : “I am sure we are all happy to see that peace has come. It has cost us six years of hard struggle involving incalculable destruction of life and property, not to mention the hardship and the misery which all had to undergo in order to win victory. It is a matter of great relief to us that we have no longer before us the problem of war and of war effort which required us not only to make things ready, but to make them ready at the shortest notice. Thank God that all our worries are over. But you all know that, though the problems of war are no longer there to trouble us, there are before us problems of peace, such as the reconstruction of the social and economic life of the people. These problems affect India no less than they do other countries of the world. * Indian Information, December 15, 1945, pp. 684-88.