L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 583
Bihar. —Seven employers, including the leading employers, have opened grain shops for their workers and are maintaining as far as possible emergency stocks of foodstuffs. One prominent employer has advanced capital to a Co-operative society of workers for running grain shops and has also provided storage accommodation at reduced rent.
United Provinces. —All the large Cawnpore factories have grain shops and emergency reserves are laid in as far as possible.
Central Provinces and Berar. —About 14 grain shops have been opened by employers ; one employer is helping a trade union to open such a shop. About seven prominent employers and one Co-operative society have made or arc making arrangements for storing food grains for an emergency.
Sind. —Seven leading employers in Karachi and Hyderabad (Sind) have opened grain shops.
Employers of all essential services have been required to keep within the work premises emergency stocks of foodstuffs with cooking arrangements and prominent employers have complied.
One leading concern at Karachi has set up a canteen for supplying cooked food and milk to its employees.
Assam. —Employers of industrial labour have made adequate arrangements for supply of foodstuffs by opening grain shops, etc.
Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad: May I know whether the Labour Department has any hand in the fixation of the prices for the poor people ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : No.
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*** Measures for Making Essentials Available** to Labourers
89. Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to state what action his department has taken to safeguard the interests of labourers in getting their essential of life specially food stuffs ? If none, why ?
(b) What steps, does the Honourable Member propose to take to ensure that the poor people get enough to eat and prices comparable to their wages ? If none, why ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) and (b). The question has been engaging the attention of Government for some time and is now considered in the Food Department. Instructions have been issued to Provincial Governments to give priority of supplies to essential civil personnel, including industrial labour engaged in essential employments.
- Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1943, 16th February 1943, p. 269.