Vol. 10 · pages 626–630

605 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (b) if it is a fact that the areas covered by the Rent Control Order have been excluded from the operation of that Act; and (c) whether the Honourable Member proposes to withdraw the Rent Control Order and advise Government to extend the application of the said Act lo those areas also ; if not, why not? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) and (b) Yes. (c) No. The Rent Control Order provides a speedy method of determining the fair rent of a house not provided for by the Punjab Act and I do not see any reason for withdrawing the Order. * House Rent Control in Simla † 232. Khan Bahadur Shaikh Fazl-i-Haq Piracha : (a) Is the Honourable the Labour Member aware that in 1940 the rents of private properties in Simla were reduced considerably owing to the retention of the civil Departments of the Government of India in Delhi and that a large number of houses remained vacant or were leased on a nominal rent by the landlords concerned during the course of that year ? If so, do Government propose not to determine the rents for that year as basic rents under the Rent Control Order ? (b) Is the Honourable Member aware that the cost of repairs has gone up very high and that the Punjab Government have imposed a new tax of 7 ½ per cent on the property under a new Act ? (c) Are Government aware that the landlords in Simla are suffering financially from the restrictions imposed by the Government concerned in one way of the other ? (d) Docs the Honourable Member propose to amend the House Control Order for Simla, so as to determine the rents for 1939 as basic rents plus 25 per cent on account of the increased cost of repairs or alternatively lo withdraw the Rent Control Order and to apply the Punjab Rent Restrictions Act instead ? If not, why not ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Rents at the beginning of 1940 were lower than in 1939 when landlords had raised rents to an unreasonably high figure. Houses were not, however, rented at nominal rents in 1940, and the Government of India considered that * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1943, 2nd March 1943, p. 662. † Answer to this question laid on the table, the questioner being absent.

606 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES the rents of 1940 were fair rents to take as basic rents under the Rent Control Order. (b) Yes. (c) Landlords are not suffering financially from the restrictions imposed upon them by Government but they are prevented from making more than reasonable profit on their properties. (d) No ; the Rent Control Order is an emergency measure designed to expedite decision regarding rents of houses. If Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act is enforced instead, the tenants will have to seek redress in the Civil Courts which will not only be expensive but will take a long time to arrive at a decision. 38 * Allotment of Central Government Employees’ Quarters to Staff of Local Schools, etc. @ 234. Mr. Muhammad Azhar Ali : (a) Will the Honourable Member for Labour please state if he is aware of the fact that the Public Works Department quarters specially built for the Central Government employees are allotted to the staff of the local schools and courts in preference to the Central Government servants of certain Departments ? (b) Is he aware that the purely temporary staff of the so-called “entitled offices” is given preference over the permanent staff of other offices who are drawing higher salaries notwithstanding the loss of revenue to Government ? (c) Is it a fact that sister offices of the same Department are treated differently ? (d) Is it a fact that the Railway clearing Accounts Office was treated as non-entitled but that decision has since been changed ? (c) Does the Honourable Member propose to review the position and take steps to treat all the Central Government offices alike ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) These quarters are meant for employees of the Central Government and of the Local * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1943, 2nd March 1943, p. 663. @ Answer to this question laid on the table, the questioner having exhausted his quota.

607 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Administration of Delhi posted in New Delhi and Delhi and may be allotted to such employees working in Schools and Courts. (b) I am prepared to accept that the operation of the rules may have led to the result suggested by the Honourable Member. (c) A more liberal interpretation of the rules regarding offices entitled to this accommodation has recently been adopted and it is possible that as a result there may be some anomalies. (d) Yes. (e) I am prepared to examine the case of any particular office brought to my notice, but do not propose to undertake a general review. 39 * Private Houses leased by Government in Delhi 252. Sardar Sant Singh : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member kindly state the number of private houses leased by Government in the different areas in Delhi, e.g., New Delhi, Notified area, Karol Bagh, Darya Gunj, etc. separately ? (b) When were the first and the last houses leased in each area ? (c) Is it a fact that all houses were leased before the winter season began ? If not, how many were leased after the beginning of the winter season ? (d) On what basis is the rent paid by Government to the owners of these buildings, how were the houses classified for purposes of allotment and how were they allotted according to that classification ? (e) In how many cases were persons eligible for a lower type allotted a higher type, and why ? (f) How is the rent charged for these houses from the allottees ? (g) Is it a fact that it cannot be more than 10 per cent of their pay ? (h) When were the first and the last houses occupied in each area, separately, during 1942-43? (i) Is it a fact that several houses are still vacant? * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 19-43, 8th March 1943, pp. 811-12.

608 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (j) How much loss have Government incurred by the difference in payments to owners as a whole and the actual rents realized from the tenants ? (k) How much loss have Government incurred by the houses remaining vacant for months ? (l) Were Government not aware of the probable demands ? (m) Is it a fact that in certain cases rents paid to owners were more than the rents realized by them immediately prior to their leasing to Government ? If so, why, and who is responsible for this loss and what action do Government propose to take against the officers responsible for this ? (n) What do Government propose to do for the next year ? (o) Will they still require more houses on lease or will they release some out of those already leased ? (p) Are Government prepared to have an Enquiry Committee to look into the leasing of houses in the past to allay any suspicion that Government were put to unnecessary loss due to the negligence of officers and want of proper estimate of news ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) and (b) A statement containing the information asked for is laid on the table of the House. (c) No. Forty six houses were leased after the commencement of the winter season. (d) Government have paid the “fair rent” as determined under the provisions of the New Delhi Rent Control Order, 1939. Flats in houses suitable for allotment to officers were classified as those suitable for officers with wives and families, and those suitable for officers with wives only and were allotted accordingly in accordance with the principle that the houses carrying higher rental were allotted to higher paid officers. Houses suitable for clerks were not classified and were allotted in accordance with the abovementioned principle. (e) None. The houses were not divided into types but the principle “higher rented accommodation for higher paid officer” was always followed in allotting available houses. (f) Rent is calculated in accordance with the rules and is recovered from the allottees at ten per cent of the emoluments or the full rent whichever is less.

609 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (g) Yes ; ten per cent of emoluments and not pay. (h), (j) and (k) 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. It is impossible that in a large housing estate all houses will be full all the time—some loss is bound to occur from occasional vacancies and from the operation of the ten per cent rule. (i) None of the leased houses in New Delhi and Darya Gunj are vacant and only four suites of accommodation suitable for officers and three suites of accommodation suitable for clerks are vacant in Karol Bagh. (1) Government were fully aware. (m) The rents paid were those fixed by the Rent Controller. So far as is known, in cases where houses had previously been leased, these did not exceed rents previously paid. The latter parts of the question do not arise. (n) and (o) Government are not in a position to give a definite answer. It is probable that Government will want more houses. (p) No. In view of my reply to other parts of this question, this does not seem to be necessary. STATEMENT (a) New Delhi area ... 122 bungalows and flats. Notified area ... 8 bungalows. Karol Bagh ... 143 fiats (including accommodation suitable for clerks). Darya Gunj ... 34 fiats (suitable for clerks only). First house based on ... Last house based on (b) New Delhi ... 1-4-41 2-2-43 Notified area ... 1-6-41 31-12-42 Karol Bagh ... 7-7-42 15-1-43 Darya Gunj ... 15-8-42 25-10-42 Mr. Lalchand Navalrai: May I know why some of the houses are lying vacant; are they not required by officers and clerks ?