THE PAPER CONTROL ORDER 45
paper-makers is that they shall not sell more than 10 per cent of their production to the public. It does not in turn say that they shall deliver 90 per cent of the paper to Government. That I think is a very fundamental and a very real distinction which the House should bear in mind.
Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra (Presidency Division: NonMuhammadan Rural): What is the difference in effect ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The Government may release more than 10 per cent.
Bapur Baijnath Bajoria : How ?
Dr. P. N. Banerjea : When wisdom dawned on Government ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is the order as it stands. I am not giving the interpretation of the order. I am explaining the terms in the nature of the Order.
(There was an interruption, several Members speaking.)
Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim) : Order, order.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The second point which I want the House to bear in mind is that the order is served on the paper mills. It is not served on the stockists, who have a large number of stocks of paper already in their godowns. Secondly, it is still possible for the public to satisfy its requirements by getting such paper as is still available in the stocks which have been stored and hoarded by stockists before the order was passed. The third thing which I wish to remind the House about this order is this : that it is possible under the order, as it is framed, for the Controller of Paper to permit the mills to sell more than 10 per cent. There is no bar, there is no impediment, no obstacle placed if the Controller of Paper, notwithstanding the order that has been passed on the
5th November, finds that it is possible for him to release for public consumption more than 10 per cent of the paper. It is still open to him to do so. Having explained to the House what is actually involved in the order issued by the Government, I would like to take the House and acquaint it with the immediate circumstances which compelled Government to pass this order.
Briefly, the facts are these. In the first six months, viz., from April to September, our demand for paper, which is put forth by the Central Stationery Office, amounted to 34,000 tons. It was found that the mills had already delivered about 16,000 tons of paper to Government on