Vol. 10 · pages 771–775

750 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 183 * Want of Light in certain North Block Clerks’ Lavatories 629. Sardar Sant Singh : (a) With reference to his answer to starred question No. 432, dated the 30th March, 1943, will the Honourable the Labour Member please state whether he is aware that the clerks’ lavatory adjacent to the officers’ lavatory on the first floor of the North Block facing the north-western court-yard has been without a light for more than a year ? (b) Is he aware that there is a clerks’ lavatory facing the southwestern inner court-yard of the North Block, the frontage of which is now closed due to formation of some rooms, and there is a narrow dark passage leading to this lavatory, and that this lavatory has hardly ever had a light during the last one year or more ? (c) If an inspection is made of the other clerks’ lavatories in the North Block, or in other buildings of the Government of India, is the Honourable Member aware that he will find mostly the same unsatisfactory state of affiars, although apparently the C.P.W.D. authorities have informed him that such is not the case ? (d) Is the Honourable Member prepared to pay surprise visits to some of these lavatories, without informing the C.P.W.D. authorities, say, once in six months or so, in order to judge the veracity of the statements made to him by the C.P.W.D. authorities ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a), (b) and (c). Yes, I am aware of the unsatisfactory state of lighting in some of the clerks’ lavatories in the North Block of the Secretariat buildings. The position is as follows: Electric bulbs are invariably provided in clerks’ lavatories. Replacements are provided as usual and all possible means are adopted to ensure their safety. Despite the fact that locks are used, the bulbs are very often stolen. The records show that since October last about 48 bulbs with an equal number of bulb locks awere replaced in six clerks labvatories in the North Block, out of which only 2 or 3 bulbs * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. II of 1944, 27th March 1944, p. 1561.

751L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS are intact while the rest have been stolen. In the ordinary course, only 15 to 16 bulbs should have been supplied during this period on all points (taking the average life of a bulb at 1000 hours). As the provision of lamp locks has not prevented thefts, the Electrical Engineer is arranging to provide a special type of fittings to electric points in these lavatories. It is hoped that this arrangement will prevent thefts and improve lighting in the clerks’ lavatories. (d) In view of the measures that are now proposed to be taken, I do not consider surprise visits by me necessary. 184 * Lawns in front of Orthodox Clerks’ Quarters in D.I.Z. Area, New Delhi 630. Sardar Sant Singh : (a) With reference to his answer to starred question No. 232, dated the 17lh November, 1943, will the Honourable the Labour Member please state whether he is aware that the C.P.W.D. Administration have supplied him with wrong information about the lawns in front of the orthodox clerks’ quarters in the D.I.Z. Area of New Delhi ? (b) If the reply to (a) be in the negative, is he prepared to inspect some of these lawns without taking any P. W.D. officials with him and find out the correctness or otherwise of the information supplied to this House through him by the C.P.W.D. Administration ? (c) If the reply to part (b) be in the negative, will the Honourable Member please state : (i) whether in every case beyond the outer wall of the quarters, there is a road on the other side of which the laws begin ; (ii) whether it is a fact that the edge of these lawns runs parallel to the walls of the quarters, i.e., in a straight line as far as the quarters were built in a straight line or follows any turn, etc., but always running parallel, in a regular manner, to the walls of the quarters ; (iii) whether this straight alignment of the edges of the lawns is still maintained ; if so, the width of the said roads, viz., between * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. II of 1944, 27th March 1944, p. 1561.

752 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES the quarters and the lawns, as originally fixed and laid on, and their width at the corners or in front of most of the quarters in the Baird Square, Havelock Square, etc.; (iv) whether any officer of the C.P.W.D. himself visited all the squares, etc., in order to see the condition of the lawns; if so, who was that officer; or whether the matter was left in the hands of some petty subordinates; and (v) whether the Honourable member is prepared to issue instructions to the C.P.W.D. officers to inspect the places about which complaints are brought to light, personally and invite half a dozen or so tenants of each locality and find out their grievances, if any, taking their signatures on a report on the matters in question ? If not, why not ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) and (b). No. I have no reason to believe that the information furnished to me was incorrect. (c) (i) Yes, generally. (ii) The lawns usually run parallel to the walls of quarters. (iii) The alignment of the edges of the lawns is still maintained and the width of paths is about 8 feet. (iv) The Sub-Divisional officer goes round to see the lawns frequently and the Superintendent, Horticultural Operations, inspects them occasionally. (v) Complaints, when made, are attended to by the C.P.W.D. officers and no special instructions appear to be necessary. 185 * Copyholders and Revisers passing Readers’ Examination of Government of India Press, New Delhi 646. Maulana Zafar Ali Khan : Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased state : (a) whether it is a fact that some Copyholders and Revisers who passed the Readership Examination in the year 1942, in the third * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. II of 1944, 27th March 1944, pp. 1567-68.

753L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS chance (grace chance), in the Government of India Press, New Delhi, were given to understand that if they would succeeded in examination they would remain junior to all qualified men who passed in the first and second chances ; (b) whether the existing rule was in force in the month of May, 1942, when the examination was held in the Government of India Press, New Delhi ; and (c) whether the rule regarding the promotion of qualified Copyholders and Readers is going to be amended very shortly in such a way that those men who passed the examination in the third chance are now going to be declared senior to all ; if so, why ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) No. (b) Yes. (c) The attention of the Honourable Member is invited to the reply given to parts (d) and (f) of Qazi Muhammad Ahmad Kazmi’s starred question No. 231 and part (c) of Mr. Muhammad Hussain Choudhury’s question No. 501. 186 * High-handedness of Landlords in Delhi 647. Mr. Kailash Biliari Lall : Will the Honourable Member for Labour be pleased to state : (a) if the attention of Government has been drawn to the article published in the Hindi weekly named Vaishya Samachar of Delhi under the heading “Delhi me Makandaron ki Nadirshahi” in its issue of the 12th March, 1944 ; (b) if Government have ascertained that actually influential and rich houseowners, resort to such tyrannies as have been described in the article, in question, in alliance with the police officers ; (c) if it is a fact, that, as stated in the paper, the house rent in the Maliwars Mohalla in Old Delhi has gone so high as from Rs. 9 to Rs. 21/4/-; (d) if Government propose to get the allegations described in the paper equired into, and to take suitable steps to stop the high handedness of the manner alleged with regard to the question of house rent in Old Delhi; and * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. II of 1944, 27th March 1944, pp. 1571-72.

754 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (e) the difficulties in the way of Government in applying the same law to Old Delhi which regulates and controls the rent in New Delhi ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Enquiries are being made of the local authorities and a reply will be laid on the table of the House at an early date. 187 * Representation of Scheduled Castes in Food Department 648. Mr. Piare Lall Kureel : (a) Will the Honourable the Food Member be pleased to state the communal representation including that of Scheduled Castes in the Gazetted and NonGazetted Staff of the Food Department and the Executive and Provincial organizations thereunder ? (b) Are Government satisfied with the present representation of Scheduled Castes in the Food Department ? If not, what practical steps do they propose to take in order to secure their due representation in the said Department? (c) Do Government propose to reduce the educational qualifications for the above Gazetted and Non-Gazetted posts in the case of Scheduled Castes ? If not, why not ? The Honourable Sir Jwala Prasad Srivastava : (a) I. Gazetted Posts : Europeans … … … 22 Anglo-Indians … … … 1 Hindus other than Scheduled Castes … 60 Muslims … … … 22 Other Minority Communities … … 8 Scheduled Castes … … … 1 II. Non-Gazetted Posts : Europeans … … … 3 Anglo-Indians … … … 3 Hindus other than Scheduled Castes … 445 Muslims … … … 149 Other Minority Communities … … 52 Scheduled Castes … … … 1 *Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. II of 1944, 27th March 1944, pp. 1571-72.