Vol. 10 · pages 806–810

785L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 217 * Removal after the War of Temporary Buildings Constructed in New Delhi 50. Sir F. E. James : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to state if he is aware : (i) that Lord Linlithgow in reply to the farewell address presented by the New Delhi Municipal Committee on the 16th October 1943, made the following statement: You express anxiety about the removal after the war of the many temporary buildings which must be admitted to mar the beauty of the city. As I announced in my recent-speech to the Houses of the Legislature it is the definite policy of the Government of India to remove those buildings as soon as possible. It is the intention that all the temporary buildings that have been constructed for use as offices and hostels, etc., in the neighbourhood of the Secretariat, in the Irwin Stadium, near the Willingdon aerodrome, in the neighbourhood of Connaught Circus and in various blocks, which under the New Delhi Development Scheme had been allotted for other purposes, will be removed as soon as possible after the cessation of hostilities. (ii) that His Excellency Lord Wavell in reply to the welcome address presented by the New Delhi Municipal Committee on the 30th October 1943, made the following statement: I can assure you that Her Excellency and I are at one with you in the matter of the removal after the war of temporary buildings. You will recollect that Lord Linlithgow gave you an assurance on behalf of the Government of India. (b) To what buildings do the intentions of the Government of India as announced by Lord Linlithgow now apply, in view of the construction programme undertaken, since October, 1943 ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) Yes. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1944, 2nd November 1944, pp. 128-29.

786 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (b) To all buildings that are of temporary construction and that will interfere with the future development of Delhi. It does not apply to the Lodi Road Officers bungalows constructed in 1941 or to most of the clerks quarters constructed recently. In particular it does not refer to the large block of clerks quarters under construction to the south of Lodi Road behind the observatory. Sir F. E. James: May I know, Sir, who will decide whether the temporary buildings now being constructed will or will not interfere with the development of Delhi ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Obviously the Government of India. Sir F. E. James : May I also enquire if those buildings which he has referred to in his answer, which arc not included in the term ‘temporary’ buildings, are, in fact, being constructed on a permanent basis and at a standard of quality which will justify their being retained as permanent buildings ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Certainly. Mr. Lalchand Navalrai: May I know from the Honourable Member whether he considers that all the palatial buildings which have been built for Americans also mar the beauty of the city ? Are they temporary, and will they be removed after the cessation of hostilities ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : That does not arise out of this question. Mr. Lalchand Navalrai: It does. These buildings—such as those built near the Council House—also mar the beauty of the city. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The question did not refer to the buildings built for American troops. Mr. Lalchand Navalrai: All these buildings arc being constructed by Government……...... The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The question does not refer to the buildings built for American troops. Therefore the question does not arise. Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim) : Next question.

787L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 218 * Government Contribution to Associations other than Indian Labour Federation 59. Mr. Badri Dutt Pande : (a) With reference to starred question No. 776 of the 4th April 1944, regarding monthly grant of Rs. 13,000 to the Indian Federation of Labour, will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to give a reply to my supplementary question as to whether there are other Associations which are getting money like the said Federation ? (b) What is the Government control over this money to see that it is being utilised for public purposes ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) No other labour Association has received financial assistance from Government for this purpose. The letter in which assistance from Government in the matter of propaganda for maintaining morale of labour was offered, was addressed both to the AllIndia Trade Union Congress and the Indian Federation of Labour. In their reply the All-India Trade Union Congress did not ask for any assistance. (b) I would refer the Honourable Member to the replies already given to questions put by Mr. Lalchand Navalrai. 219 @ Unconstitutional Conduct of Government in Appointing Adjudicator in Trade Dispute between Shahdara (Delhi) Saharanpur Light Railway and its Employees, etc. Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim): The next motion stands in the name of Mr. Dam. He wishes to discuss “the unconstitutional conduct of the Central Government in the appointment of the adjudicator in the trade dispute between the Administration of * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1944, 2nd November 1944, p. 134. @ Ibid., 3rd November 1944, p. 218.

788 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES the Shahdara (Delhi) Saharanpur Light Railway and its employees and further failure of the Central Government in not extending the order on the award of the said Adjudicator to the employees on the East Indian Railway by making cheap grains available at the rates charged by the North Western Railway as made available to the employees on the Shahdara (Delhi) Saharanpur Light Railway”. What is the exact complaint ? Docs he want that there must be some sort of allowances which have been awarded elsewhere ? Mr. Ananga Mohan Dam (Surma Valley cum Shillong: NonMuhammadan): Sir, the rule says that both parties to the dispute should apply for a reference to the court. That was done and the privileges that were extended to the employees of the North Western Railway were not extended to the employees of the East Indian Railway as regards the cheap grains that were made available to them. Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim) : You want the same privileges to be extended to the employees of the East Indian Railway. Mr. Ananga Mohan Dam : Yes, Sir. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Labour Member): Sir, I oppose the motion and I must say that my Honourable friend is considerably mis-informed as to the facts and the circumstances. This adjudication took place under Rule 81 A. Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim): The only question before the House is whether the motion is in order. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I am stating the facts. This adjudication took place under Rule 81A of the Defence of India Rules and the power to appoint an Adjudicator completely vests in the Government of India. Therefore there is nothing unconstitutional in the Government of India appointing an Adjudicator to settle this dispute particularly when the dispute covered a railway which runs in two provinces, namely, the United Provinces and Delhi and no single Provincial Government was entitled to appoint an Adjudicator. Therefore, I submit there is nothing unconstitutional in the action taken. With regard to the second part, my submission is that my Honourable friend is considerably misinformed on the point because the award of the Adjudicator did not exclude any dispute with regard to the other Railway. It was certainly not open to the Government to extend the provisions of the award to a railway which was not the subject-matter

789L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS of the dispute at all. The dispute concerned only the Shahdara (Delhi) Saharanpur Light Railway and not the East Indian Railway. Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim): There was no such demand on behalf of the employees of the East Indian Railway ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Certainly not, Sir. Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim): The facts stated by the Honourable Member for Labour show that there is no justification for this motion. Therefore, it is disallowed. 220 * Expenditure on Buildings in Delhi @ 132. Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state how much money have the Government of India spent on buildings—permanent and temporary—in Delhi ? (b) How much was provided by (i)loan, (ii) revenue, and (iii) by land and lease arrangements ? (c) What would happen to these buildings after the war ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The total cost of permanent and temporary, office and residential accommodation, constructed since 1939, is Rs. 6.38 crores. (b) The information asked for is not readily available. (c) Permanent buildings will be retained after the war. As regards temporary buildings, it is the intention of Government to demolish them as soon as practicable after the war, as and when the sites are required for the development of Delhi. 221 † Demolition of Temporary Buildings @133. Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : (a) Has the Honourable the Labour Member suggested to his Department that the buildings will be constructed in a manner that they may be pulled down soon after the war which will involve additional expenditure of the money ? * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1944, 7th November 1944, p. 319. @ Answer to this question laid on the table, the questioner having exhausted his quota. † Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1944, 7th November 1944, pp. 319-20.