Vol. 10 · pages 876–880

855 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (c) What rates of wages and what amenities are these labourers entitled to, and how do they compare with the average terms and conditions on which other labourers are engaged in the coal mines ? What reports, if any, have been received as regards their output of work and general efficiency as also aptitude for mining work from the different mines where they are employed ? (d) What are the names of officers directly in charge of the working of the scheme, and what are their respective duties ? What are their qualifications and experience in the line, and what emoluments do they receive ? (e) From what source is the requisite finance obtained initially ? Are the accounts relating to the scheme regularly audited under the control of the Auditor General ? Up to which period has audit of these accounts been completed ? Has any financial or accounts irregularity been brought to light as a result of audit of the accounts ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The labour is recruited by the Gorakhpur Labour Supply Depot in the United Provinces for employment on various Government works as well as in the coalfield. It is organised in gangs under the following supervisory staff :— One sirdar for each gang of 50 men. One unit Supervisor for each contingent of 250 men. One camp Supervisor for each camp of 1,000 men. One Group Officer in charge of the personnel of one or more camps according to location. The officer directly responsible for these labour camps is the Deputy Director, Labour Supply (Coal) with Headquarters at Dhanbad. The labourers are recruited for six months or one year’s service at work site or until no longer required, whichever is shorter. Each labourer is given a set of mazri clothing and blanket; he is also given advances to meet initial expenses and provided free with accommodation, medical aid, cooking fuel and rations. He is remunerated for work done on specified scales of wages in addition to bonus for good work and long service.

856 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (b) Total number of labourers so far recruited for work in mines 33,500. Present working strength 15,000. Total expenditure incurred—Rs. 74,16,584 up to the end of January 1945. Recoveries Total amount billed for up to the middle of January 1945 …………….. 14 1/2 lakhs. Actual recoveries …………… 5 lakhs. (c) Gorakhpur labour is entitled to the following wages and amenities when serving in colliery areas: Basic wage of 12 annas per day. Production Bonus of 4 annas per day. Extra allowance for working underground—4 annas per day. In addition the labour gets free foodstuffs for a complete diet, the estimated cost of which is about 14 annas per day. They are also entitled to free housing and free medical aid. Labour from Gorakhpur gets on the whole better terms and conditions than local labour. Local colliery labour gets : (i) as cash wages 50 per cent over the pre-war local rates of wages—the pre-war rates of wages were for an average worker about 8 annas in the case of surface workers and 14 annas in the case of those employed underground; (ii) food concessions as follows: 1/2 seer of rice free for each day of attendance. Adequate supply of dal at concession rate of 6 seers to the rupee. Such further supplies of rice and dal as he may require at controlled rates. The intention of the present concession rates is to supply full ration at concession rates for the miner himself and to require him to pay controlled rates for his family. These concessions were introduced in May last, but previously the concessions extended to the worker’s family and were for rather larger quantities of grain. The

857 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS worker is now given in lieu an additional cash allowance of two annas in the case of a bachelor and five annas in the case of a married man with children. Reports from various sources including colliery owners show that Gorakhpur labour is adaptable to most kinds of work such as building camps, removing over burden in quarrying schemes, loading coal into wagons as well as cutting coal. It is also reported to be regular in attendance, and under proper supervision, its output is as good as that of any other labour. (d) (1) Mr. Walsh—Deputy Director, Labour Supply (Coal) Pay Rs. 1,925 per mensem. (2) Mr. Morris—Assistant Director Coal (Production). Pay Rs. 1,215 per mensem. Mr. Walsh is in complete charge of all matters relating to Gorakhpur labour including rations, pay, accommodation and welfare. He has 12 years’ planting experience, was 3 years’ Army Staff Officer in administrative capacity and was Labour Staff Officer at No. 3, Indian Reserve Base for 10 months where he was responsible for original organisation of Gorakhpur labour into Centralised force. Mr. Morris is in charge of the labour on work sites, output of work, provision of tools and transport. He has handled labour of various classes during last 25 years in India and Burma. He raised and commanded Pioneer Battalion during past two years. (e) The expenditure is initially debited to the head “Advance Repayable—Special Advances” while recoveries effected from the mine owners are credited to the receipt head “XXXVI— Miscellaneous Departments”. The difference between the expenditure incurred and the recoveries effected is recouped from the Coal Production Fund. The Audit Department is responsible for the audit of the expenditure. No audit or accounts irregularities have been brought to light so far.

858 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 276 * Late Publication of Legislative Assembly and Council of State Debates (1944 Autumn Session) 13. Mr. Ananga Mohan Dam : Will the Honourable the Leader of the House please state : (a) the dates on which the Legislative Assembly and Council of State Debates for the Autumn Session (November), 1944, were made available for sale and for supply to the Honourable Members, respectively; and (b) the reasons for the late publication of those Debates ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The information is given in the statement@ attached. (b) The delay in the publication of the debates was due to various causes, e.g., rush of operational war work, defective working of machines for want of replacement of spare parts and shortage of staff due to non-availability of suitable men. 277 † Annual Reports of Supervisor of Railway Labour, Calcutta 532. Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : Will the Honourable the Labour Member to pleased to state : (a) whether the Supervisor of Railway Labour, Calcutta, has submitted to the Government his annual reports on the working of (i) the Payment of Wages Act, and (ii) the Hours of Employment Regulations subsequent to 1940-41 ; if so, whether these reports have been published in full or part and whether the Honourable Member will be pleased to lay copies thereof on the table of the House; and *Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1945, 21st February 19-15, p. 630. @ Statement omitted.—Ed. † Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. II of 1945, 28th February 1945, p. 797.

859 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (b) if the reply to the last portion of part (a) above is in the negative, whether the Honourable Member proposes to supply the following information in a tabular form for each Railway, separately, for the financial years 1941-42, 1942-43 and 1943-44 :— (i) the amount of fines inflicted on the Railway staff; (ii) the total number of cases in which fines were inflicted ; (iii) the total number of irregularities detected in the working of the Payment of Wages Act; (iv) the total number of irregularities detected in the working of the Hours of Employment Regularities ; (v) the nature of instruction issued to the various Railway Administrations to avoid a repetition of such irregularities ; (vi) the nature of representations made by the Labour Supervisor to the Labour Department of the Government of India on points where a conflict of opinion existed between the Supervisor and the Railway Administrations or the Board ; and (vii) the decision given on points referred to in (vi) above ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Since the year 1940-41, annual reports on the working of the Payment of Wages Act and the Hours of Employment Regulations for the years 1941-42 and 1942-43 have been submitted by the Conciliation Officer (Railways) and Supervisor of Railway Labour. As I informed the Honourable Member in answer to his unstarred question No. 43 on the 10th February 1944, Government have decided not to publish these reports in view of the acute shortage of paper. They have, however, now decided to issue a press note in respect of the reports for the year 1942-43 as also in respect of future report until such time it is found possible to renew the previous practice of publishing them. (b) Such information as is readily available is being complied and a statement will be laid on the table of the House in due course.