Vol. 10 · pages 586–590

565 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Mr. Muhammad Nauman : Will the Government make enquiries and find out whether the allegation is correct ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I cannot commit myself to making enquiries, which will require additional staff and time which Government may not be able to spare. v Mr. Muhammad Nauman : The Government ought to have had this information since three years have elapsed. Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Adur Rahim): The Honourable Member is expressing an opinion. Dr. Sir Ziauddin Ahmad : May I ask if the dearness allowance mentioned in this question will be extended to other departments of the Government of India, especially post office ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : This question should be addressed to the appropriate department. Dr. Sir Ziauddin Ahmad : This question refers to railways, but my Honourable friend has taken up this question as one concerning labour. I should like to know whether the labour conditions mentioned with regard to railways will be extended to labour conditions in other departments ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I think there has been an increase in dearness allowance given to all employees in the Government of India. Mr. Muhammad Nauman : With reference to part (d), may I know whether Government have taken any pains to compare the control rates at which they are selling now and the rates at which the commodities were being sold in 1939 and 1940 ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is quite unnecessary to make any such comparison of percentage at all. Mr. Muhammad Nauman : Otherwise, you do not know what percentage of dearness allowance should be given. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is sufficient for Government purposes to know that there is an increase. In that case they may consider whether or not to increase the allowance. Qazi Muhammad Ahmad Kazmi: What are the places where the rise in prices is the lowest ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I want notice. * * *

566 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 5 * Representation of Scheduled Castes in the Civil Pioneer Units Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state how many battalions of Civil Pioneer Force have been raised in the different Provinces ? (b) to what extent are the Scheduled Castes represented in the ranks and as officers ? (c) if the Scheduled Castes are not represented will he please state the reasons therefor ? (d) what steps do Government propose to take to secure their proper representation ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Twelve units of the Civil Pioneer Force have been sanctioned in the first instance, as under: Bcngal-3, Madras-2, Bihar-1, Bombay-1, C. P. and Berar-1, N.W.F.P.-1, Orissa-1, Punjab-1, U.P.-1. Most of these units are still in the process of forming. Seven additional units have recently been sanctioned, as under: Bengal-3, Bombay-1, C. P.-1, Madras-2. Recruitment for these has now commenced. (b) At present Scheduled Castes are represented in the Civil Pioneer Force as under: Bengal 2 per cent. Bombay 10.5 percent. C. P. and Bcrar 26 per cent. Punjab 32 per cent. U. P. 20 per cent. Madras figure not known. N.W.F.P. All Muhammadans. These figures are liable to fluctuate as further recruits are enrolled. At present so far as information goes there is only 1 officer classed as Scheduled Caste. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. III of 1942, 22nd September 1942, pp. 385-86.

567 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (c) The raising of Civil Pioneer Force Units under Ordinance No. X of 1942 was entrusted to Provincial Governments who therefore become responsible for deciding on the composition of their respective units. (d) The Government of India addressed all Provincial Governments regarding the percentage of Scheduled castes to be recruited in future and directing that the percentage both of officers and men should be up to the percentage of Scheduled castes in the province and that where this percentage had not been previously met it should be made up in recruitment to subsequent units. Mr. N. M. Joshi : May I ask what is the function of this Civil Pioneer Force ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The function of the Civil Pioneer Force is more or less analogous to that of the Fire Brigade. When there is an air raid and property is destroyed, the Civil Pioneer Force will come into operation and do rescue work. 6 * Prescribed Government Conditions for Contractors as regards Payment of Wages, etc., to their Employees Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj : Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state if he is aware that in Western Countries conditions have been prescribed to be observed by the contractors in the matter of wages and benefits to their employees ; if so, whether the Government of India have prescribed any such conditions for the contractors in India ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Yes. In certain western countries contracts require that contractors should observe certain labour conditions in respect of such matters as hours of work, wages and conditions generally. The Government of India have prescribed in the case of Central Public Works Department contracts that the * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. III of 1942, 22nd September 1942, p. 386.

568 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES contractor should pay his labourers not less than the wages paid for similar work in the neighbourhood. Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj : What steps, if any, are taken by the Government to enforce this clause in the contract ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I cannot say offhand, but I will make inquiries and let the Honourable Member know.. Mr. N. M. Joshi : May I ask whether this condition about fair conditions to be given by contractors applies to the other Departments of the Government of India such as the contractors of the Supply Department ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : If my Honourable friend will give me notice I will make inquiries. Mr. N. M. Joshi : The question was about contractors taking Government contracts, not only the Public Works Department. The Honourable Member only answered for the Public Works Department. He should have answered for the Government of India. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : That question should be addressed to the Supply Department. Mr. N. M. Joshi : May I ask whether there is a central Government of India or only a Government of India divided into ten or eleven of twelve members ? Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim): The Honourable Member knows that questions have to be addressed to the Departments concerned. 7 * Bevin Boys Selected from India for Training in the United Kingdom Dr. Sir Ziauddin Ahmad : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to state what is the total number of Bevin Boys selected by the Government of India for training in the United Kingdom ? In how many batches were they sent ? How many of those were (i) Muslims, (ii) persons belonging to scheduled caste, in each * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. III of 1942, 23rd September 1942, pp. 455-56.

569 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS batch, separately ? (b) What minimum qualifications did the Government prescribe for selection ? Were they all manual labourers in the factories ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) 304 Bevin trainees have so far been selected for training in die United Kingdom. Five batches have actually been sent so far, one of 54 and four of 50 each. A tabular table is given below, showing the communal composition of the five batches already sent and the sixth batch now selected. It shows that 50 Muslims were sent out of 304. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Total Hindus … 21 25 27 29 26 34 162 Muslims … 13 9 8 8 8 4 50 Anglo-Indians … 4 5 4 3 7 3 26 Indian Christians … 4 7 6 8 4 4 33 Parsis … 6 3 3 3 1 3 19 Sikhs … 2 1 2 3 4 2 14 50 50 50 54 50 50 304 No information is available as to the number of Scheduled Caste trainees in the first 5 batches. Particulars in the case of the 6th batch are awaited. (b) The following are the minimum qualifications required. Candidates— (1) must be young and healthy but not below die age of eighteen ; (2) must be intelligent, able to read, write and do simple calculations, and possess manual dexterity and a sufficient knowledge of English to understand and make themselves understood. (3) must belong to one of the engineering trades preferably fitting, turning or maching ; (4) must have had a minimum of three years’ experience of factory work and have given proof of intelligence and adaptability ; and (5) must be medically fit and free from all traces of tuberculosis. A limited number of students were included in the first two batches, but it was then decided to restrict die Scheme to men of me working classes and mat rule has since been enforced.