Vol. 10 · pages 716–720

695L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS pleased to state : (a) the number of cases of contravention of the Payment of Wages Act (Act IV of 1936), detected on the East Indian Railway during each of the years 1941, 1942 and upto the 15th October, 1943 ; (b) the number of applications made to the authority appointed under section 15(1) of the Payment of Wages Act by the Inspectors for offences committed by the East Indian Railway authorities since the Act was brought into force in 1937; and (c) the number of cases in which penalties were imposed under section 20 against the East Indian Railway Officers ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The number of cases of contraventions of the Payment of Wages Act on the East Indian Railway were 334 during 1941-42, 481 during 1942-43 and 123 from 1st April to 15th October 1943. (b) Nil. (c) Nil. 130 * Operation of the Payment of Wages Act on East Indian Railway 237. Nawab Siddique Ali Khan (on behalf of Qazi Muhammad Ahmad Kazmi): (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state if it is or it is not a fact that the Inspectors of Railway Labour have to obtain prior sanction, from the Supervisor of Railway Labour for any action they may intend to take against offenders under the Payment of Wages Act ? (b) If the reply to (a) above be in the affirmative, what is the number of instances when such permission was sought and sanction accorded relating to cases of contravention of the Payment of Wages Act on the East Indian Railway year by year from 1937 ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) It is only the Supervisor of Railway Labour and his Deputy who have been appointed Inspectors under Section 14 of the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, any formal action under the Act has therefore necessarily to be taken by these two officers and the question of taking their prior sanction does not arise. (b) In view of the reply to part (a), this does not arise. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1943, 17th November 1943, p. 414.

696 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 131 * Operation of the Payment of Wages Act on East Indian Railway 238. Nawab Siddique AH Khan (on behalf of Qazi Muhammad Ahmad Kazmi): (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state if it is or it is not a fact that lack of effective and proper supervision of the conduct of the Payment of wages Act is responsible for such frequent contravention of the Payment of Wages Act on the East Indian Railway ? (b) Do Government propose to consider the advisability of making changes in the existing machinery with a view to affording proper and effective check on such contraventions of the Payment of wages Act by the Railway officers ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) What the Honourable Member suggests is not a fact. The very fact that such a large number of irregularities are brought to light every year and rectified at the instance of the Supervisor of Railway Labour proves the effectiveness of the Machinery which now exists for this purpose. (b) Does not arise. 132 @ Representation from Mr. V. G. Balwaik re War Bonus to Workers 239. Mr. Govind V. Deshmukh : Will the Honourable Member for Labour please state : (a) if he has received a representation from Mr. V. G. Balwaik, President, Central Provinces and Berar Provincial Workers’ Federation, Nagpur, in the month of October, 1943, in connection with war bonus to workers ; (b) if Government have arrived at any decision regarding the condition attached to the additional war bonus by the Empress and Model mills, viz., the Government of India to decide whether more * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1943, 17th November 1943, pp. 414-15. @ Ibid., p. 415.

697L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS than two months’ wages as war bonus can be treated as expenditure on which the company will have to pay no tax ; if so, what their decision is; and (c) if he is aware of the decision of the Working Committee of the Central Provinces and Berar Textile Workers’ Federation to go on strike from the 15th November, 1943, if the mill-owners in the Province will not pay this additional or second instalment of the war bonus by the 14th November 1943 ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) No. (b) No. The general question of limitation of bonuses admissible as revenue expenditure is under consideration and it will not be expedient to give further details at the present stage. (c) Yes. Mr. Govind V. Deshmukh : May I know the reasons why it would not be possible to arrive at a conclusion at an earlier date and give details ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : We are doing our best to arrive at a conclusion as early as possible. Mr. Govind V. Deshmukh : What time it will take, because the withdrawal of the strike has been made under my instructions that the Government of India will decide this question and the strike had better be postponed ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I am unable to give any detail. Mr. N. M. Joshi : May I ask whether the Government of India is aware that there is very great discontent among the textile workers of Central Provinces on account of the fact that the Government of India have not decided this question early ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I have no information on the point. 133 * Students Admitted to Dhanbad School of Mines 242. Maulvi Muhammad Abdul Ghani : Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state : (a) the number of students admitted to the Dhanbad School of Mines, and the number of Muslims therein during 1941, 1942 and 943 ; * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1943, 17th November 1943, p. 416.

698 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (b) whether any quota is fixed for the admission of Muslims ; and (c) the total number of Muslims who applied for admission during the last three years ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) 24 students were admitted during each of the years 1941, 1942 and 1943. No Muslim student was admitted in 1941 and 1942. In 1943 two were admitted but one did not join the School. (b) No; and (c) 34. Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : What is the reason for the non-admission of Muslim students ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : That is because they do not qualify themselves at the entrance examination. Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : As for academic qualifications I can prove that there are any number of Muslims who are fit to join that institution. But is it not a fact that scholarships are not given to Muslims ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I cannot say ; I shall want notice of that. Maulvi Muhammad Abdul Ghani : Is it a fact that last year qualified Muslims applied but they were rejected outright ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : No. If I may explain to the Honourable member, the method of admission to the school is that first of all 50 per cent. of the places are filled as a result of an entrance examination which is open to all students. After that a certain quota is filled for the purpose of representing each province according to a quota that has been fixed. After that the balance of students is taken purely on the basis of merit. At this school there is no reservation with regard to any particular community at all.

699L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 134 * Drop in the Output of Coal 250. K. C. Neogy : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to refer to his statement in reply to starred question No. 349, asked by me in the Legislative Assembly on the 20th March, 1943, to the effect that the drop in the production of coal was so slight that no detailed enquiry had been held into its cause, and state whether it is a fact that there has been a considerable drop in the output of coal both in British India and in the Indian States since January last ? (b) If the answer to (a) be in the affirmative, is the Honourable Member in a position to indicate the extent of such drop, month by month, ever since it was noticed ? (c) Was any warning given about the threatened coal shortage by any trade organisation or any individual member of the trade to the knowledge of Government ? If so, when did such warning come to the knowledge of Government for the first time, and what steps, if any, were taken thereupon ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Compared with the corresponding month of last year, the output of coal in British India and Indian States has shown a decrease during 1943. During the first 5 months of the year the drop was slight; but from June onwards it has become more considerable. (b) 1940 was the peak year for coal production. Since then production has fallen slightly year by year. The fall assumed serious proportion from June 1943. Compared with the corresponding months of 1942, the output in June, July and August of this year fell by about 353,000 tons each month, while September showed a decrease of 299,000 tons. (c) A warning was given by an individual member of the trade in August 1943. Government were already well aware of the situation by that time and were actively considering remedial measures. The following are some of the principal steps that have been taken to improve the situation. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1943, 17th November 1943, pp. 421-22.