664 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
95
- Factories Adversely Affected by the Former Standard Time
@ 151. Qazi Muhammad Ahmad Kazmi : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state which factories (and in which part of the country) were adversely affected by the former standard time which used to be observed in India ?
(b) What is the number of such factories, and what is the estimated amount of loss to those factories caused by the keeping up of the standard time?
(c) Do Government propose to consider the advisability of restoring the old standard time ? If so, why not ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Government have no information that factories in any part of India were adversely affected by the former standard time.
(b) Does not arise.
(c) The reply to the first part is in the negative. The reasons for the advance of time have been explained by Government in a Press communique a copy of which is laid on the table of the House. No grounds have been shown for a restoration of the old standard time.
Press Communique
The existence of two different standards of time in India is for purposes of defence undesirable and since the 15th May this year a uniform standard time has been observed throughout the country. In deciding what that standard should be the Government have had to consider on the one hand the convenience of that portion of India which lies to the West of meridian 82½ and already enjoys sufficient daylight saving and on the other the requirements of the eastern Provinces where it is essential to avoid any electricity overload due to overlap of factory demands with those of domestic, office and street lighting and where extra daylight may be needed to mitigate the effect of obscuration. Since in the summer months there is an adequate margin of daylight in the eastern areas, it was considered that by an adjustment of office
- Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. III of 1943, 2nd August 1943. p. 285.
@ Answer to this question laid on the table, the questioner being absent.