Vol. 15 · pages 1031–1035

1012 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (15) *SALARY AND ALLOWANCES OF THE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT 726. Maulvi Wajed Ali : Will the Minister of Law be pleased to state whether in view of Article 106 of the Constitution, Government propose to bring forward a Bill to provide for the salary and allowances of the Members of Parliament in the near future ? The Minister of Law (Dr. Ambedkar): No, Sir. In view of the latter half of the Article referred to by the Hon. Member, Government do not see any need for bringing forward a Bill to provide for the salary and allowances of Members of Parliament. The existing position appears to be satisfactory. Maulvi Wajed Ali: Is it not a fact that the article does not specify anything about the present Parliament ? My question is also about the future House of the people which the Hon. Minister contemplate in his proposed Bill. Dr. Ambedkar : I have not seen any formal expression from this House that the present practice is unsatisfactory. Shri Brajeshwar Prasad: Is there any proposal before the Government to substitute I class railway pass for the present railway travelling allowance ? Dr. Ambedkar : It is a suggestion which may be considered. (16) **GENERAL ELECTIONS 5. Shri Kamath : Will the Minister of Law be pleased to state: (a) the progress so far made in respect of the preparation of electoral rolls and delimitation of constituencies in each of the Part A, Part B and Part C States ; and (b) the firm date for the holding of general elections under the new Constitution ? * P. D., Vol. 1, Part II, 15th April 1950, p. 1557. **P. D., Vol. 6, Part II, 15th November 1950, p. 12.

1013PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES The Minister of Law (Dr. Ambedkar): (a) A statement is laid on the Table (See Appendix I, Annexure No. 4). (b) This question has been dealt with yesterday in the Presidents opening address. Shri Kamath : Is it a fact, Sir, that in the President’s Order issued some time in October the total population of Scheduled tribes in Part A and Part B States of the Indian Union has been given as 179 lakhs or so while according to the Census of 1941 the total population of Scheduled tribes in those States is about 248 lakhs ? Dr. Ambedkar : This question should be addressed to the hon. the Home Member. Dr. Deshmukh : May I know if the Hon. Minister of Law is aware that according to the present arrangement, considerable hardship would be caused to a Scheduled Caste candidate and whether he is intending to take any steps by which this double constituency which is likely to fall to the share of the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes candidates would be reduced to a single constituency. Dr. Ambedkar : That is a matter which undoubtedly will be dealt with by the House when the Order dealing with constituencies will be placed before the House. Prof. Ranga: Is it absolutely incumbent according to the Constitution to have the elections for the Parliament—the House of the People and also for the State Legislatures— simultaneously ? Dr. Ambedkar : That would be a matter which would be dealt with on the basis of convenience by the Election Commissioner. Sardar B. S. Man : May I know for the purposes of delimitation of constituencies whether the results of Census which is shortly to be taken in 51 will be taken into consideration or the present figures of 1941 will be considered ? Dr. Ambedkar : I think under the Constitution, the provision is that the election is to take place within three years from the date of the provisional Parliament. The old Census may be taken, subject to the fact that in certain Provinces like the Punjab and West Bengal the population may be estimated by the President on the basis of the voting strength.

1014 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Shri Kesava Rao : May I know whether the Government has received any representations from the minority communities for having plural Member constituencies for them ? Dr. Ambedkar : May I know what complaints have been received by the Election Commission, but I may say that I have received various representations relating to that matter. Dr. Deshmukh : May I know if the complaints of castes which have been omitted from the President’s Order for the first time are going to be considered by Government ? Dr. Ambedkar : It cannot be considered now. The provision in the Constitution is that whereas the Order is made by the President enumerating the various castes and tribes, the Government is excluded from any further action. The matter is left for Parliament to be death with. Shri Tyagi: When does the Hon. Minister propose to introduce the People’s Representation Bill in its final shape and place the electoral rules before this House ? Dr. Ambedkar : The Bill certainly I am placing before the House during the course of this session, but I do not know what my hon. Friend means by “rules”. Shri Tyagi: I mean rules of election. Dr. Ambedkar : Well, I do not know whether the rules of election would be framed unless and until we pass this Act. Shri R. K. Chaudhari: Is it a fact, Sir, that the population as determined by the hon. the President has been open to very serious objection on the ground that the determined population has been less in some instances than the census of 1941 and as it was determined on the number of voters as on the voting list which has been found to be defective, is there any likelihood of the revision of the determined population ? Dr. Ambedkar : That question ought to be addressed to the Hon. the Home Minister. Shri Chandrika Ram : May I know how many States have been able to delimit the constituencies for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes ?

1015PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES Dr. Ambedkar : I do not think the delimitation of constituencies for the Scheduled Castes is a matter which is dealt with separately from the delimitation of the general constituency. Shri Kamath : In view of the fact that the date of the General Elections has now been postponed from April-May to November-December, 1951, will there be any change in the qualifying date and qualifying period for the voters ? Dr. Ambedkar : Unless the Act that has already been passed is amended, we could make no change. Mr. Speaker: I think we will go to the next question. (17) *GENERAL ELECTIONS 134. Shri Deshbandhu Gupta: (a) Will the Minister of Law be pleased to state whether Government have finally fixed the month for the next General elections and if so, what is the month ? (b) Will the elections be held simultaneously for the Parliament and Legislature of States ? (c) What opinions have been expressed by each State Government on the subject ? (d) What is the total number of voters for the House of the People, the Council of States and States Legislatures respectively enrolled and when will the electoral rolls be finally published ? (e) What is the estimated expenditure which will be incurred on the elections ? (f) How many officers will be employed for the purpose and for what period ? The Minister of Law (Dr. Ambedkar): (a) This part of the question has been dealt with in the President’s opening address on the 14th November, 1950. (b) Elections are proposed to be held simultaneously for the House of the People, Constituencies in a State and the * P. D., Vol. 6, Part I, 20th November 1950, p. 138.

1016 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Legislative Assembly constituencies, if any, of that State. Elections to the State Legislative Councils will also be held about the same time, but it may not be exactly at the same time. (c) The States are all in favour of holding the elections to the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies simultaneously. (d) The electorate for the House of the People and the Legislative Assemblies of the States are the same. A statement is laid on the Table giving the total number of voters for the House of the People so far enumerated. (See Appendix I, Annexure No. 29). Figures in respect of supplementary voters are still awaited from Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bhopal, Bilaspur, Coorg and Himachal Pradesh, the electorate for the seats allotted to Part A States and Part B States (except Jammu and Kashmir) in the Council of States is 3,055. The method of election to fill the seats in the Council of States allotted to Part C States is to be determined by Parliament and it is proposed to introduce during the current session a Bill to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1950 for this purpose. The electoral rolls for the Legislative Councils in Part A States and in Mysore are still under preparation and it is not possible to give any idea as to that electorate. Electoral rolls will be finally published as soon as constituencies have been delimited and claims and objections to the preliminary rolls have been disposed of. This is expected to be late in January, or early in February, next. (e) On a rough estimate, the total expenditure that has so far been incurred, and may hereafter be incurred by the Government of India in connection with the elections may be about 520 lakhs; and the total expenditure for all the State Governments may be about 490 lakhs. (f) If the hon. Member is referring to officers who will be employed for the actual conduct of elections, it is not possible at present to estimate their number or the period for which they will have to be employed for the purpose.