Vol. 10 · pages 981–985

960 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES of a general nature to encourage private building all over India and not only particularly in Bombay and Calcutta. They have withdrawn the instructions which they issued to Provincial Governments regarding the exercise of control over building construction. They have advised Provincial Governments generally to encourage private building by all means in their power. They have issued specific instructions about the release of bricks and increased quantities of other building materials like cement, steel, timber, etc. which are under the control of the Government of India,) have been made available to private builders. Government of India have further decided to convene a meeting in Delhi in the first week of March 1946, of representatives of the building trade in order to discuss with them the factors that are still impending the progress of private building in this country. (c) The Government of India believe that the relaxations are going to make it easier for builders to put up structures in future. (d) The Government of India have addressed provinces in regard to a short term scheme for the encouragement of the construction of housing for industrial labour and those other workers in urban areas who are unable to pay an economic rent. The scheme involves a subsidy from the Centre provided provinces make an equivalent subsidy and will be referred to by the finance Member in his Budget speech. 379 * Government’s Policy re : Residential use of Wartime Temporary Structures 470. Mr. Manu Subedar : (a) Is the Honourable the Labour Member aware of the special measures being taken in the United Kingdom to increase activity in house building ? If so, what are those measure ? (b) Do Government propose to indicate their policy with regard to the following suggestion made by the Statesman of the 23rd January, 1946. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1946, 25th February 1946, p.1427.

961 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS “The Government would be, therefore, well advised to consider if until the law of supply and demand has reasserted itself, residential use is possible of the temporary structures put up during the war”? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Yes. These measures have been fully explained in the British Ministry of Information pamphlet No. R. 520, a copy of which will be found in the Library of the House. (b) The suggestion made by the Statesman of the 23rd January, 1946, was in respect of the temporary buildings constructed in Calcutta and I take it that the Honourable Member wants to know the policy of Government in respect of those buildings. I am concerned only with the buildings constructed for Central Government Civil Offices which will no doubt be retained for use until they have become surplus to our requirements. 380 * Working Hours of Factory Workers in India 481. Mr. Vadilal Lallubhai: Will the Honourable the Labour Member kindly state : (a) the actual daily working hours of factory workers in India according to different industries including collieries and plantations ; (b) the total number of factories coming under the purview of the Indian factories Act, 1934; (c) how many of them are working one shift, how many of them two shifts and how many of them three shifts; and (d) the working hours in each shift ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Two satements showing the daily working hours in industries and plantations are placed on the table of the House. No detailed information about the actual working hours in collieries is available. (b) Total number of factories under the Factories Act was 14,922 in 1944, the last year for which figures are available. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1946, 25th February 1946, p. 1428.

962 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (c) and (d). No information available. Statement showing hours of work per day in factories 1. Cotton … … … … 7½—10 2. Jute … … … … 9—12 3. Silk … … … … 7½.-9 4. Woolen … … … … 9—10 5. Engineering (including railway workshops) … 7½,—12 for shift workers (in some cases night shift workers work for 7 hours). 6. Matches … … … … 8½—10 7. Potteries … … … … 8 for shift workers 8. Printing Presses … … … … 7½,-8½ 9. Glass … … … … 7½,—9 for shift workers. 10 for general workers. 10. Chemical and Pharmaceutical works … … 7—10. 11. Sugar … … … … … 8 for Manufacturing section. 8—9 for Engineering section. 12. Cotton ginning and bailing … … … 9—10. 13. Rice Mills … … … … 7—10. 14. Cement … … … … 7½—8 for shift workers. 8—9 for general workers 15. Paper … … … … 7—8 in continuous process shifts. 16. Mica Factories … … … … 9. 17. Shellac Manufacture … … … 8—10. 18. Bidi, Cigar and Cigarettes … … … 11—12 for bidi and cigar. 8—9 for cigarettes 19. Carpet Weaving … … … … 9—10. 20. Tanneries and Leather goods Manufacture… … U. P. Madras—8½ 9 Day shift. 8—9 Night shift. 21. Coir Matting … … … … 9 for men. 6 for women. 5 for children. Statement showing daily hours of work in Plantations. Assam and Bengal— … … Tea Gardens— … … Hazaria basis (normal working time) … … 5—6 Ticca basis (overtime;) … … 3—4 Pluckers … … … … 10—11 Kangra Valley … … … … 8—9 Dehra Dun … … … … 8 Almora … … … … 6 Tea and Coffee Estates in South India … … 8—9 Rubber Estates … … … … 5—7

963 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 381 * Utilisation of Temporary Building in New Delhi 495. Sri M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar : Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state: (a) if all the temporary buildings, built for the War Department and other requirements including the returned American buildings on Queensway and other places are going to be utilized solely for office accommodation; (b) if he will consider the desirability of using at least some of these buildings for housing the government of India personnel, single persons or others, after making slight modifications in those buildings for residential purposes, and thus relieving the present housing shortage in Delhi; and (c) Whether, if Government is not prepared to undergo the necessary expense, he will let these buildings out on contract with the stipulation that they should be let out to the Government servants in the first instance ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) No. (b) Yes—if and when any temporary buildings constructed for office purposes are no longer required as offices—and the sites on which they are constructed are not required for other purposes. (c) This will be considered, but it is likely that Government will require the buildings for their own staff and in such case be likely to keep them under Government control. 382 @ Governments Policy re: Mica Trade 499. Babu Ram Narayan Singh : Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state: (a) the policy and object of Government in regulating the Mica business and trade; * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1946, 25th February 1946, p. 1446. @ Ibid., p. 1447.

964 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (b) the probable date by which the report of the Mica Enquiry Committee is to be printed and published; and (c) the length of time to be taken by Government in considering the desirability of altogether removing or at least modifying the ban on the sale of Crude and Bima Mica under the Mica Control Order ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) The Government of India wish to improve the working conditions in the industry and to organise it on sound commercial lines so that Indian mica gets a fair price in the market. (b) The report is under print and will be published as soon as printed copies are available. (c) It is not possible to fix any date by which Government will take decisions on the recommendations of the Mica Enquiry Committee. Every endeavour will be made to do it as quickly as possible. 383 * Unemployment Due to Mica Control Order 500. Babu Ram Narayan Singh : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state whether Government are aware that several lakhs of people in the Hazaribagh District have been thrown out of employment as a result of the introduction of the Mica Control Order ? (b) Are Government aware that several lakhs of people of the Hazaribagh District have Mica Business as their only means of livelihood ? If so, do Government propose to regulate the Mica business and the Mica Trade so as to safeguard their interests ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) The Government of India have no information that the introduction of the Mica Control Order has resulted the unemployment of several lakhs of people in the Hazaribagh District. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1946, 25th February 1946, p. 1447.