700 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
(1) More wagons have been provided to take away coal, particularly in the Bengal and Bihar fields.
(2) Efforts are being made to ensure the prompter delivery of colliery stores and machinery.
(3) Women have, since August, been permitted to work underground in the Central Provinces and Berar coalfields.
(4) Action has been taken to prevent interference with colliery labour from military activities in the coal fields.
(5) Schemes are under preparation to provide a greater quantity of consumer goods for collieries and in particular of food, and arrangements are being made to ensure an adequate ration at concession rates to the miners.
(6) Welfare officers are about to be appointed in the Bengal and Bihar coalfields to promote the health and general welfare of miners.
Mr. K. C. Neogy : Is the Honourable Member in a position to indicate the principal factors that contributed to this coal shortage ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Sir, the principal factor that contributed to the shortage of coal is undoubtedly the shortage of labour. That was due to the fact that labour was drawn away from coal fields by the ‘Grow More Food’ campaign and by the military works that were started near about the area where the coal mines are situated.
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- The Coal Trade Conference at Delhi
- K. C. Neogy : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to state whether the principal object of the Conference of representatives of coal trade and other interests, that was held in Delhi on the 23rd October last under his chairmanship, was to consider the question of increasing the output of coal ? If so, what were the circumstances that led to the decision to hold the conference, and the result of the discussions thereat ?
- Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV of 1943, 17th November 1943, pp. 422-23.