574 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
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*Paucity of Muslim Gazetted Officers in the Printing and Stationery Office
23. Sir Abdul Halim Ghuznavi : (a) Will the Honourable Member for Labour be pleased to state how many Gazetted Officers there arc in the Printing and Stationery Office of the Government of India ? Are there any Muslims among them ? If not, why not ?
(b) Is it a fact that recently the vacancy of a Second Assistant Controller in the Central Stationery Office was filled up by a Hindu Sub-deputy Collector from Bengal, ignoring the legitimate claims of Muslim candidates and in violation of the Government circular regarding the maintenance of a ratio for Muslim appointments ?
(c) Do Government propose to take any steps to increase the existing ratio of Muslim Gazetted Officers for safeguarding the interest of Muslims ?
(d) Is it a fact that Government propose to create shortly one post of Assistant Controller and another of Superintendent in the Central Stationery Office ? If so, will they be pleased to reserve these appointments for Muslims ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Presuming that the Honourable Member refers to the Stationery and Printing Department as a whole, the number of gazetted officers is 24 of which two posts are at present held by Muslims. The last part docs not arise.
(b) Yes. The reply to the second part is in the negative.
(c) All gazetted posts in the Stationery and Printing Department are selection posts appointments to which are made by selection on merits in accordance with existing rules. Assurance to increase the proportion of Muslims to such posts will not be in conformity with those rules.
(d) There is no proposal to create any additional post of Assistant Controller in the Central Stationery Office. A temporary post of Superinendent has recently been sanctioned for that office for a period of less than three months. Orders regarding communal
- Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1943, 11th February 1943, p. 71.