Vol. 10 · pages 326–330

309 MULTI-PURPOSE PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ORISSA’S RIVERS necessary. This is the second question to which I wish to refer. It is for the Orissa States and the Government of the Province to come together in order to shed a part of their sovereignty over different sections of the rivers that are flowing through their territory so that the project could be undertaken, planned, devised and run by a single authority without disturbance cither from the province or from the states once it is established. I need hardly say that the welfare of the public is far more important both to the Government of Orissa as well as to the Rulers of Indian States affected than sovereignty. Their sovereignty should be used for advancing the welfare of the people and not for blocking it. With co-operative and co-ordinated effort on the part of the Central Government and the Provincial and State Governments, it should be possible to harness for beneficial use this perennial source of wealth waters of Orissa rivers—which are at present running to waste and causing untold suffering on their way to the sea.” SURVEY OF ORISSA RIVERS : CONFERENCE DECISIONS The conference decided to undertake a preliminary surveys of the Orissa rivers to prepare schemes of unified and multipurpose development. Multi-purpose schemes which may be prepared after this preliminary survey are intended to comprise flood control, navigation, irrigation and drainage, soil conservation and power development. The Conference agreed that, in the first instance, the possibilities of controlling and developing the Mahanadi river should be surveyed. It was further agreed that surveys should be carried out by the Provincial Governments concerned in conjunction with and under the general direction and supervision of the Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission. It was explained that the Commission would, in the beginning, carry out a preliminary reconnaissance over the entire length of the Mahanadi, and if, as a result of such reconnaissance, a prima facie case for the development of the river for the benefit of the provinces and states concerned was established, further detailed survey and investigation would have to be undertaken. It would only be at this stage that full participation of parties concerned, both administrative and

310 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES financial, would be necessary. Till then the Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission propose to carry on preliminary reconnaissance with the help of the recently created Orissa Rivers Division of the Provincial Government. It was agreed that the C. P. Government and the Eastern States would supply the Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission with all such data and information as they already possessed and would cooperate fully with them in order to explore the possibilities of the Mahanadi river. Mr. GOKHALE’S SPEECH Mr. B. K. Gokhale, Adviser to H. E. the Governor of Orissa, welcoming the plan outlined by Dr. Ambedkar, said : “Orissa is perhaps the most backward part of India and no single project is likely to do more to improve the conditions of the people than the multipurpose development which we have under contemplation”. He outlined the history of Orissa up to modern times, and said that Orissa expected that the thought which had been given to planning and regional development would start her on an era of happiness and prosperity. * * * POST-WAR IRRIGATION AND HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEMES “There is no doubt whatever about India’s lead to the world in irrigation. Nor of its vital importance to India; with our rapidly increasing population we must irrigate to live”, said H. E. the Viceroy opening the 16th annual meeting of the Central Board of Irrigation held on November 26 in the Council Room of the Viceroy’s House, New Delhi. Besides the experts of the Government of India and the Chief Engineers of Provinces and States, the Hon’ble Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Member for Labour, and the Hon’ble Mr. H. C. Prior, Secretary, Labour Department, attended. * Indian Information, December 15, 1945, p. 697.

311 MULTI-PURPOSE PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ORISSA’S RIVERS The Viceroy said : “I am very glad to be able to open the 16th Meeting of this Central Board of Irrigation. Your branch of engineering is an ancient, important, and very honourable one. Irrigation engineers are the oldest experts in the world. The 2nd Chapter of Genesis tells us that ‘A river went out of Eden to water the garden’ obviously the first recorded example of irrigation. The two ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia were of course built entirely on irrigation ; and the forerunners in your craft were presumably a much honoured guild or fraternity in those countries. “Amongst the most eminent of the early irrigation experts must be numbered Moses, of whose achievements, in the art of irrigation we know at least two ; when he smote the rock at Horeb, bidding drink and live the crowd beneath him ; and when he sweetened the bitter water at Marah, presumably by building a dam to keep out some brackish clement. India’s Achievements “Other engineers may give us speed in travel or comfort in our dwellings ; your gift is that of life itself. If you want a text for your labours you will find it in a verse of Isaiah ; ‘I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people’. zz

54 * Rejection of Railway men’s Federation Demands Re: Retrenchment The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Labour Member) : Mr. Chairman, in the morning when this adjournment motion was admitted I did not think that the Labour Department would have to come into this debate in order to explain its position. But when the debate opened I found that two of the speakers who have supported the motion have come down somewhat heavily on the Labour Department. Their charge was that although the dispute has been going on for some considerable time, the Labour Department has not played the part which it is expected to play in this dispute. Sir, I admit that the Labour Department has a considerable amount of responsibility in this matter. It is a department which has been established in order to see that the working classes do get their dues and if the Labour Department can be found to have failed in its duty, it would undoubtedly be deserving of the censure that is moved. But I am sorry to say, Sir, that my Honourable friend, Sardar Mangal Singh,— who in the first instance alluded to the responsibility of the Labour Department and said in a somewhat, if I may say so, slighting manner, that the Labour Member was either sleeping or fiddling—was completely unaware of the facts of the situation and has certainly not informed himself of what the Labour Department has done in this matter. I think it would therefore be desirable that I should place before this House some very relevant facts with regard to this matter. First time when the Labour Department came to know that there was such a dispute between the Railwaymen’s Federation and the Railway Board was on the 5th October, 1945, when a letter was sent by an official of the Indian Railwaymen’s Federation forwarding a number * Legislative Assembly Debates, Vol. I-No. 2, 22nd January 1946, pp. 106-08.

313 REJECTION OF.......RETRENCHMENT of resolutions that had been passed at a session of the Railwaymen’s Federation. After that letter a second letter was received by the Labour Department on the 10th October, 1945. In that letter a request was made that the Labour Department should move and appoint an adjudicator in order to decide upon the terms mentioned in the resolution. Now, Sir, it will be admiitted that before any such grave step as that of the appointment of an adjudicator is taken, it is the duty of the Labour Department to bring the two parties together and to induce them to meet in a formal manner, discuss the various outstanding questions, reduce their differences as far as they possibly can agree to each other’s demands. That duty, I am glad to say, the Labour Department immediately performed and they induced the Railway Department to meet the representatives of the Indian Railwaymen’s Federation and to discuss points of dispute. Honourable Members might be aware that after the discussion had taken place between the Railway Department and the Indian Railwaymen’s Federation a communique was issued by the Railway Department stating that a meeting had taken place and certain matters which were matters of dispute were discussed between the two parties. Now that thing happened as late as the 5th of December, when this communique was issued. Certainly from the 5lh of December up to day it cannot be said that an unduly long delay has happened or an unduly long delay has been brought about or that there has been any dilatoriness on the part of the Labour Department that they did not move in this matter as soon as they ought to have done. But there is one other point to which I would like to draw the attention of the House. It cannot be said—and I think Mr. Guruswami ought to be in possession of this fact—that the negotiations have not been concluded. Negotiations arc still going on and I may tell the House that it has been agreed between the Railway Department and the Federation of Indian Railwaymen that a small committee of the Indian Railwaymen’s Federation be appointed in order to carry on further negotiations with the Railway Department. The dale fixed for that meeting is towards the end of January 1946. The end of January 1946 has not yet come. There is still time for negotiation……… Shri Prakasa : ‘Towards the end’ has come. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Yes, but that is a matter which I am afraid I cannot accept.