Vol. 10 · pages 851–855

830 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is given to the Federation. Mr. T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar : May I know whether the Government has satisfied themselves that it has been entered in the accounts of the Federation and it has been spent through the Federation ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Yes. Mr. T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar : May I know whether the Government are contemplating an increased amount being given ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : No. Mr. T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar : May I know for what period this has been sanctioned for the present ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is sanctioned for a year. Mr. T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar : May I know when it ends ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : When the budget ends. Mr. Badri Dutt Pande : The Honourable Member said the other day that audited copies of accounts will be placed on the table of the House. Has he done so ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : They have not been received as yet. Mr. Govind V. Deshmukh : Has the Honourable Member seen the details of this account ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I understand that they are seen by a special officer who has been appointed by Government in this behalf. Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : From those accounts that the Honourable Member has seen already, is it or is it not clear that this money has been utilized by Mr. Roy for his own purposes ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I think that is not the correct statement. Mr. Lalchand Navalrai: Then which is the correct statement ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It has been spent for the purposes for which it has been granted. Mr. Badri Dutt Pande : To whom was the money handed over to Mr. Roy, to Mr. Jamnadas Mehta, or to the Secretary of the Federation ?

831 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is received by the Secretary of the Federation. Mr. Jamnadas M. Mehta : No money has been received by the Federation from the Government. The Name of the Federation has been used behind the back, over the head and without the knowledge of either its Executive Committee or its President. The Government have been cheated. It is without the knowledge of the Federation. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is not my information. Mr. Jamnadas M. Mehta : Government have been cheated. Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : Will the Government take any action now that the Honourable Member has been told that Government has been cheated ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Government does not believe that it has been cheated. 254 * Re-Imposition of Ban on Women Working Underground in Mines 48. Mr. T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar : Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state : (a) whether the matter of continuing to allow women inside the mines has been reviewed ; (b) how many women are now working under mines ; and (c) in view of the fact that women working underneath cannot even decently clothe themselves, whether he will consider the advisability of abolishing the practice altogether ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The question of re-imposing the ban on the underground employment of women in coal mines, to which the Honourable Member presumably refers, has been reviewed. (b) The figure varies but at present about 15,000 to 16,000 women are employed underground in coal mines. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1945, 9th February 1945, p. 104.

832 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (c) The ban has been lifted only as a temporary measure, and will be reimposed as soon as conditions permit. I may also add that all female workers, both surface and underground, are supplied with two saries per year at the concessional rates as arranged for by the various Mining Associations; at some mines the saries are given free and at others at half price. Mr. T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar : The question was not whether they get saris to wear. It is impossible for them to wear the saris in the mines and so the question of presentation of saris or giving them at concessional rates is absolutely irrelevant. I understand that they cannot wear saris above the waist line while working in the mines, because it is too wrong. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is quite wrong. Mr. T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar : When do you expect to reimpose the ban ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : As soon as circumstances permit. Mr. T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar : What are the circumstances ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : They are not under my control nor am I able to anticipate them. 255 * Casualties in Coal Mines 52. Mr. Abdul Qaiyum : Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state: (a) how many people were killed or wounded while working in coal mines in 1943 and 1944; (b) whether the proposal of providing “Pit head baths “ for women engaged in the mines and creaches for their children has been given effect to ; and (c) if not, the reasons for the delay ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Killed Injured (a) 1943 ... ... 290 1,320 (b) 1944 ... ... 332 1,395 * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1945, 9th February 1945, pp. 109-10.

833 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (b) So far pit head baths have been provided only in the Digwardih Collieries ; creaches have been installed in 7 collieries of Central Provinces and in one colliery of Raniganj (Bengal). (c) The Government of India are not aware of the reasons for the delay. They have under active consideration the question of amending the Indian Mines Act to make it obligatory on the mine owner, who employ women workers to maintain creches. Mr. Abdul Qaiyum : Will the Government see that these improvements are effected in good time before the ban on employment of women takes place ? Otherwise, there will be no use for these improvements later on ? Will the Honourable Member see that they are not delayed too long ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Employment of women underground may be stopped but employment of women on the surface will continue. Creaches will be necessary. That does not mean that I am going to delay matters. Prof. N. G. Ranga : How many of those cases reported killed, due to mining accidents, were women ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I want notice. Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra : What percentage of these deaths was due to asphyxiation and what percentage was due to accidents. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I want notice. 256 *Mineral Deposits in South India 61. Mr. K. S. Gupta : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state the different types of mineral deposits—metalic and nonmetallic—found in South India as a result of the occasional survey done by the Geological Department during the past thirty years ? (b) Is it a fact that deposits of magnetic iron ore are found in large quantities in easily accessible places ? (c) Was there any attempt made by the Government of India to establish an iron and steel industry or encourage others to establish one in the vicinity of these deposits ? If not, why not ? * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1945, 9th February 1945, pp. 116-17.

834 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (d) Was there any systematic examination and investigation of the following deposits in the Madras Province (i) copper, (ii) zinc, (iii) lead, and (iv) aluminium ? If so, what are the results ? (e) Is it not a fact that ceramic articles of high quality could be manufactured in the Province of Madras if the resources are properly tapped ? Are there any investigations made with regard to this industry ? If not, why not ? (f) Is it not a fact that Ilmenite, an important mineral for manufacture of paint, could be found in some of the Southern districts ? Was there any scheme or attempt made to develop this industry ? If not, why not ? (g) Is it not a fact that large quantities of mica, an irreplaceable mineral for high tension electrical work, is found in some of the coastal districts of the Madras Province ? (h) Is it not a fact that mica is simply mined and exported to foreign countries without any attempt to start an industry for the preparation of electrical goods ? (i) Do the Government of India propose to establish in Southern India a central research organization to study these deposits ? If so, when ? If not, why not ? (j) Is it not a fact that almost all the scientific research institutions started and to be started under the Bureau of Scientific and Industrial Research would be located in Northern India ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Metallic : Chromite, iron ores, ilmenite and Columbite-Tentalite. Non-Metallic : Ceramic materials including Kaolin, Fireclay and other types of clays, quartz, felspar, and sillimanite, Coal Lignite, and Rare Earth Minerals including Monazitc, Zircon and Samarskite. (b) Yes. (c) No. The ore is low grade and is not associated with suitable fuel for smelting. (d) Yes. No deposits of economic value have however been discovered by the Geological Survey. (e) Possibly. The Madras Government have given attention to this question and have employed Ceramic Experts. The Geological Survey is conducting investigations on the quantity and quality of ceramic materials in Madras.