L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 665
and factory hours the requirements of those areas during the summer could be adequately met if Standard Time were fixed at 5½ hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time throughout India and a unform time was introduced accordingly as from the 15th May. The Government of India undertook, however, to consider the question of a further change before the winter season commenced. It has now been decided that to insure the continuance of sufficient daylight in the eastern Provinces it is necessary to make such a change in the near future, and that Indian Standard Time throughout the country should be 6½ hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. The change will take effect from midnight or the
31st August—1st September from which date clocks will be advanced by one hour. It is fully realised that the advance of clocks by one hour must inevitably cause some inconvenience to areas lying west of meridian 82½ but it is believed that by an adjustment of hours of work, this inconvenience can be overcome and that when the public becomes accustomed to the new time no great difficulty will be experienced.
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*** Fall in Output of Coal**
- Mr. K. C. Neogy : (a) Will the Honourable Member for Labour please state if it is a fact that since January,
1943, the output of coal in British India has gone down ? If so, did Government make any enquiry about the reason for this fall in output, and what practical steps do Government propose to take to improve the situation ?
(b) Is it a fact that the stock of coal was much less at collieries in British India on the 31st of May, 1943, than the stock that was reported to exist on the 31st of December,
1942 ? If so, what are the reasons for such a deterioration ?
(c) Is it a fact that sufficient number of wagons was not available between the 1st January, 1943, and 31st of May,
1943, even to carry away the raisings of that particular period? If so, what is the explanation for the reduction in the stock ?
- Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. III of 1943, 2nd August 1943, p. 286.