Vol. 10 · pages 656–660

635 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 69 * Repair of Machines of the Government of India Press, New Delhi 427. Maulvi Syed Murtuza Sahib Bahadur : (a) Will the Honourable Member for Labour be pleased to state the amount of expenditure incurred on the local repair of machines of the Government of India Press, New Delhi ? (b) Is it a fact that there is a mechanical section in the said Press ? If so why are the repairs not carried out there ? (c) Is it a fact that the Head Mechanic personally gets the parts repaired in the city, and the letter to the firm undertaking repairs never gives instructions regarding the nature of the repairs but simply states that these will be explained by the Head Mechanic ? If so, why are the full details of the repairs not given in the letter to the firm undertaking the repairs ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The total amount spent on local repairs to plant during 1942-43 is Rs. 1,177-2-0. (b) The answer to the first part is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, only such work is entrusted to an outside agency as cannot be done in the Press. (c) No. 70 @ Extra Staff in the Government of India Press, Aligarh †428. Maulvi Syed Murtuza Sahib Bahadur : (a) Will the Honourable Member for Labour please State how much extra work has been received from the Calcutta Forms Press by the Aligarh Press in connection with the dispersal of stocks of forms, and for that purpose * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. II of 1943, 30th March 1943, pp. 1585-86. @ Ibid., pp. 1585-86. † Answer to this question laid on the table, the questioner having exhausted his quota.

636 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES how much extra staff has been appointed by the Manager, Government of India Press, Aligarh ? (b) Is the staff appointed commensurate with the work received ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) A statement showing the work received up to the 16th March 1943 and the staff appointed is laid on the table (b) The answer is in the affirmative. Statement Sr. No. Form No. No. of copies required Sr. No. Form No. No. of copies required 1 I.A.F.A. 176 13,000 books 11 I.A.F.A.-2 (Large) 37,000 books 2 I.A.F.O. 1287 3,00,000 12 I.A.F.F.-1068 43,000 books 3 I.A.F.O. 1435 1,400 books 13 I.A.F.O. 1367-A 1,50,000 4 I.A.F.M. 1213 1,000 books 14 A.F.O.-1810A 7,500 books 5 I.A.F.Z. 2187A 30,000 15 A.F.W 3010 9,000 books 6 I.A.F.Z. 2197 35,000 books 16 I.A.F.Z. 2135 6,000 books 7 I.A.F.Z. 2011* 50,000 books 17 S. 90-A 1,00,000 8 I.A.F.Z. 2011** 40,000 books 18 S. 90-B 50,000 9 I.A.F.Z. 2157 2,500 books 19 S. 97-A 4,00,000 10 I.A.F.A. 175 7,000 books * Small ** Large Statement showing appointments made in connection with the primary of forms, etc., received from the Forms Press, Calcutta. 3 Compositors on Rs. 25. 1 Reader in the grade of Rs. 90-4-110. 1 Copy holder in the grade of Rs. 28-2-38. 3 Stercotypers on Rs. 20. 1 Typesupplier on Rs. 20. 3 Paper Issuers on Rs. 20. 3 Computors in the grade of Rs. 35-2-75. 2 Clerks in the grade of Rs. 35-2-75. 1 General Foreman in the grade of Rs. 125-5-150. 1 Assistant Foreman Primer in the grade of Rs. 55-3-70. 1 Assistant Foreman Compositor in the grade of Rs. 50-3-65. 1 Head Computor in the grade of Rs. 70-3-100. 1 (Clerk) Assistant Stationery and Store Keeper in the grade of Rs. 80-4-100.

637 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 71 * Complaints Against Manager, Government of India Press, Aligarh 429. Maulvi Syed Murtuza Sahib Bahadur : (a) Will the Honourable Member for Labour please state how many envelope-makers have been appointed in the Government of India Press, Aligarh, within one year, and in what proportion of different communities ? (b) Is it a fact that the Manager, Government of India Press, Aligarh has appointed them without any trial, and most of them are non-Muslims ? (c) Is it a fact that the Manager, Government of India Press, Aligarh appoints technical staff without any practical test, and always fills in the unreserved posts and sometimes also reserved posts by appointing non-Muslims ? If so why ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) 43 envelopemakers were appointed in 1942 of whom 29 arc Hindus 11 Muslims and 3 belong to other minority communities. (b) No. (c) No. 72 @ Temporary Rooms, etc., in the South and North Blocks of the Secretariat in New Delhi 431. Bhai Parma Nand : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state whether it is a fact that some corridors or verandahs in the South and North Blocks of the Secretariat in New Delhi were converted into rooms and are being used as such by the staff of the different Government of India offices ? * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. II of 1943, 16th March 1943, p. 1586. @ Ibid., p. 1587.

638 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (b) Is it a fact that some of these converted rooms face the sun nearly the whole day ? (c) Is it a fact that such rooms as mentioned in part (b) have only ordinary glass panes to keep the sun out from them ? (d) Is it a fact that some of these rooms are very narrow ? (e) What is the width of the narrowest of such converted rooms which face the sun nearly the whole day ? What is the number of such rooms ? (f) What was the temperature in these rooms in the day time, say, in the second fortnight of February, and in the first fortnight of March ? What was the temperature in these converted rooms (facing the sun) during the months of April, May, June, July and October 1942? (g) Is it a fact that these rooms are just like burning ovens where the staff are roasted for the whole day ? (h) Have these rooms ever been inspected by any Health Officer to see that they were fit for occupation during the summer ? If so, has his report been that they were fit for occupation ? (i) if the answer to the latter part of (h) be in the affirmative, are Government prepared to consider the allotment of these rooms to gazetted officers of the various offices concerned and put the staff at present working in them in the rooms originally built for them ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) Yes. (b) Some of these converted rooms, which face South, are exposed to sun in the afternoons. (c) No. Such rooms are provided with curtains in addition to glass panes. (d) No. (e) The narrowest width of these converted rooms is 8 ft. 3 inches. The number of such rooms is 3. (f) A statement containing the information asked for is laid on the table of the House. (g) No.

639 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (h) Yes ; these rooms were inspected by the officers of the Health Department but no objection was raised. (i) Some of these converted rooms were actually occupied by the Gazetted Officers during the last summer season. Statement Second fortnight of February … … 60°F First fortnight of March … … 75°F April 1942 … … … 98°F May 1942 … … … 104°F June 1942 … … … 106°F July 1942 … … … 96°F October 1942 … … … 90°F 73 * Insufficient Lighting of Clerks’ Lavatories, etc. in the North Block Secretariat, New Delhi @ 432. Bhai Parma Nand : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state if most of the clerks’ Lavatories in the North Block Secretariat, New Delhi, specially on the first floor are not fitted with electric bulbs ? (b) Is it a fact that all the officers’ lavatories in that building are equipped with electric bulbs ? (c) Is it a fact that some clerical staff work till late in the evening ? (d) Do Government expect these men to use the lavatories in the dark or do they expect them not to feel the necessity of using lavatories after dark ? * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. II of 1943, 30th March 1943, pp. 1587-88. @ Answer to this question laid on the table, the questioner being absent.