250 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
We have now been working our coal mines with two types of labour— local labour and the labour which we have imported from outside, principally from the Gorakhpur district of the U.P. I should like to give the house certain figures with regard to wages. The Gorakhpur labourer gets 12 annas per day as basic wage ; in addition to that he gets four annas of production bonus and he gets four annas of extra allowance for working underground. Then we give him food free, the cost of which comes to 14 annas per day per man.
Mrs. Renuka Ray (Nominated Non-Official): Sir, on a point of order, I think the Honourable Member has taken 25 minutes already.
Mr. Deputy President (Mr. Akhil Chandra Datta): The Honourable Member in charge can be given more than 20 minutes.
Mr. N. M. Joshi : The rule is 20 minutes.
Mr. Deputy President (Mr. Akhil Chandra Datta) : No ; 20 minutes or more if necessary.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : As I said, Sir, apart from these wages the Gorakhpur labourer is given 14 annas per day for his food. He has free housing and free medical aid.
Coming to the other colliery labour, their wages stand as follows. There is an increase in cash wages of 50 per cent. over the pre-war rates which were 8 annas on the surface and 14 annas underground. Then he or she gets certain rations. The local colliery labourer gets
4 seers of foodgrains per worker at controlled rates for himself or herself and 4 seers for each adult dependent and 2 seers for each child between two and twelve years. In addition he or she gets one-fourth of the basic ration in cereals and dal at the concession rate of six seers to the rupee. Each worker also gets one seer of rice free of cost for each day of attendance. In addtion to that he gets cash benefits which are two annas per day of attendance to a worker who has no dependent, three annas to a worker with one dependent, five annas to one with an adult dependent and a child or children.
Mr. Sri Prakasa : Sir, on a point of order. So far as I know, the option to allow a Government member to speak for more than
20 minutes, to which you referred, was for the Member in charge and not for any Member of Government who might jump up and speak. In this case the Member in charge is the Finance Member whose motion is before the House. It is not the Labour Member’s motion.