598 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
(b) Is it a fact that in the annual reports of the Conciliation Officer (Railways) and the Supervisor of Railway Labour, who is an Inspector under the Act, it has been noted that the same irregularities have continued to be noticed on the Railways in connection with the application of Chapter VI-A of the Indian Railways Act ?
(c) If the reply to part (b) above be in the affirmative, has the Conciliation Officer (Railways) and the Supervisor of Railway Labour at any time invoked the aid of penalty provisions of the Indian Railways (Amendment) Act, 1930, to stop these irregularities ? If so, will the Honourable Member please lay a statement on the table of the House giving instances ?
(d) If the reply to first portion of part (c) above be in the negative, will the Honourable Member please give reaons for not enforcing the penalty clauses of the law ?
(e) Is it proposed to do so now ? If not, why not ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Section 1 of the Indian Railways (Amendment) Act of 1930 came into force on the 26lh March, 1930. Section 2 came into force on different Railways on the dates given below :
North Western and East Indian Railways—1st April, 1931.
Great Indian Peninsula and Eastern Bengal (now Bengal and Assam) Railways—1st April, 1932.
Bombay, Baroda and Central India and Madras and Southern Maharatta Railways—1st November, 1935.
Bengal and North Western (now Oudh and Tirhut) Railways—
1st October, 1937.
South Indian and Rohikund and Kumaon (now part of Oudh and Tirhut) Railways—1st April, 1940.
Bengal, Nagpur and Assam Bengal (now part of Bengal and Assam) Railways—1st January, 1941.
(b) Yes.
(c) No.
(d) and (c). It has not been necessary to invoke the aid of penalty provisions of the law as it has always been possible to rectify irregularities by administrative action.