z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-10.indd MK SJ+YS 21-9-2013/YS-8-11-2013 788
788 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
13,540. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: So you do propose to amend the provision dealing with the special responsibilities of the Governor to enable him to draw upon provincial funds for the administration of the wholly excluded areas also ?
Sir Samuel Hoare: Yes.
Mr. M. R. Jayakar: Does it not now fall under paragraph 96, sub-paragraph ( b ) : “The Governor will cause a statement of the estimated revenues”, etc., and then you have given power to specify separately those additional proposals (if any), whether under the votable or non-votable heads, which the Governor regards as necessary for the fulfilment of any of his “special responsibilities”. Special responsibilities include expenditure to be spent on the partially excluded areas.
13,541. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I am talking about wholly excluded areas ?
Sir Samuel Hoare: The point Dr. Ambedkar has raised deals with totally Excluded Areas and, by an error in drafting (it is nothing more than that) it would appear that the Provincial Governor, while he could draw upon the provincial funds for partially Excluded Areas, could not draw upon the provincial funds for the totally Excluded Areas. That is an omission in drafting.
†13,722. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Might I ask just one question arising out of the questions put by Mr. Joshi. I just want to draw the attention of the Secretary of State to a difficulty which I feel. Under paragraph 109 as drafted the distinction made between the Excluded Area and the partially Excluded Area is on the basis that in the partially Excluded Area discussion is possible or the Governor has the power to disallow it, while in the case of an Excluded Area, the Governor is prohibited from allowing any discussion. My difficutly is this : Yesterday, I think in answer to a question by Major Attlee, you stated, Secretary of State, that the contribution which the Centre was bound to make to Assam in order to cover the deficit arising out of the Excluded Area there was not to be an earmarked amount but was to be part of the general revenues of the Province of Assam. I suppose I am correct in saying that that was what you stated ?
Sir Samuel Hoare: I think I left the question somewhat open as to whether it should be a specific grant or whether it should be merged in the general grant.
13,723. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: The impression that I formed was that you said you did not think that it would be an earmarked amount ?
Sir Samuel Hoare: No. I think what I said, or anyhow what I intended to say, was that in the figures that we had been discussing we had assumed that it would be part of the general fund, but as to whether that was the best way of dealing with it I had an open mind.
13,724. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Very well. I will take another aspect of the thing. In answer to a question which I put you stated that so far as the
† Minutes of Evidence, Vol. II-B, 18th October 1933, pp. 1223-24.