L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 559
The Branch is also engaged in an endeavour to stimulate the production of mica. A Superintending Geologist of the Geological Survey of India is in charge of a newly-formed Mica Production Section. It will be the work of the Branch to give all possible assistance to mica miners in obtaining the supplies necessary for increasing production.
Investigations have also been taken in hand by the Branch regarding wolfram, copper, etc., and a possibility regarding tin is receiving urgent consideration.
The ultimate object is to make India as self-sufficient as possible in respect of minerals which are needed for the war effort.
(f) Yes; the Director, Scientific and Industrial Research and a Senior official of the Commerce Department are members of the Advisory Body which has been set up to assist this Branch.
Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra : May I enquire, when the Honourable Member was referring to certain types of technical staff, if they are all British officials evacuated from Burma ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : With regard to the two mining engineers referred to in my reply to this part of the question, the information is this : the two gentlemen employed as mining engineers arc Mr. Smith and Mr. Robottam.
Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra : Do they all come from Burma ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : They arc Burmese evacuees. Under them there are two probationers ; both of them are Indians. Then the mechanical engineer is one Mr. Symcs. He is also an evacuee. Of the two metallurgists, one is an Indian— Mr. Narayan—and the other is Mr. Fleming. There are three surveyors with regard to sulphur; they are all Indians. I may say that the reason why we had to employ these Burmese evacuees is because they are the only people who happened to know something about mining in regard to lead and zinc. They arc all taken from the Mawchi mines ; and probably the Honourable Member knows that the Mawchi mines in Bunna are the only mines which are lead and zinc mines. We had no expert from anywhere else. The policy of the Department is this, that while in the first place the necessity of employing Europeans who have experience in the mining of lead and zinc is inevitable, the department is taking steps that wherever a European is appointed there