Vol. 10 · pages 591–595

570 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Sir Cowasji Jehangir : Is it a fact that some of these young boys have not found employment ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : My information is that a great many have found employment. Babu Baijnath Bajoria : How many have returned ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : 149, light believe. Babu Baijnath Bajoria : What is the test of intelligence to which the Honourable Member has referred ? Sir Cowasji Jehangir : Is it a fact that some of these boys have been offered less wages than they were earning before they left for this training ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Not to my knowledge. Sir Cowasji Jehangir : Will the Honourable Member inquire as to how many arc unemployed ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Very few, to my knowledge, arc unemployed. Mr. Jamnadas M. Mehta : Were they sent under a guarantee of employment ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: No guarantee of employment. Dr. Sir Ziaucklin Ahmad : Will Government consider the employment of Bevin boys for training as war technicians ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I will consider that. 8 * Recruitment of Scheduled Caste Boys under the Bevin Scheme Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state the number of scheduled castes boys recruited under the Bevin Scheme ? (b) What steps do Government propose to take to secure adequate representation of these castes ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) No particulars were kept in respect of the first five batches. Particulars are being collected * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. Ill of 1942, 23rd September 1942, p. 457.

571 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS about the sixth batch which will sail shortly and statistics will be kept of all future batches. (b) Candidates for training under the scheme are selected by the National Service Tribunals and Government have suggested to the Chairmen of these Tribunals that when making their selections they should associate with the Tribunal non-officials of influence belonging to the Scheduled Castes preferably members of the local Legislature. 9 * Approved Contractors of the Central Public Works Department Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj : (a) Will the Honourable the labour Member please State the total number of contractors on the approved list of the Central Public Works Department according to classes ? (b) How many of them belong to scheduled castes ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The total number of contractors on the approved list of the Central Public Works Department is 1,171, according to the classification given below :— 1. Building contractors— Class I (No limit) … 115 Class II (below Rs. 50,000) … 236 Class III (below Rs. 20,000) … 620 Total … 971 2. Electrical contractors— Class I (above Rs. 20,000) … 28 Class II (below Rs. 20,000) … 42 Total … 70 Furniture and Sanitary contractors … 130 (no classification). * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. III of 1942, 23rd September 1942, p. 458.

572 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (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. * 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 * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. m of 1942, 24th September 1942, p. 507.

573 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 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 Revisional 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. 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. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. m of 1942, 24th September 1942, p. 507.

574 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 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 arc 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 docs 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 Superinendent has recently been sanctioned for that office for a period of less than three months. Orders regarding communal * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1943, 11th February 1943, p. 71.