1064 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
ARTICLE 306
*Mr. President: We shall now proceed with the consideration of the articles relating to transitory provisions. Article 306.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Bombay : General) : Sir, I Move :
“That for clauses (a), (b) and (c) of article 306, the following clauses be substituted :—
“(a) trade and commerce within a State in, and the production, supply and distribution of, cotton and woollen textiles, raw cotton (including ginned cotton and unginned cotton or Kapas ), cotton seed, paper (including newsprint), foodstuffs (including edible oilseeds and oil), coal (including coke and derivatives of coal), iron steel and mica ;
(b) offences against laws with respect to any of the matters mentioned in clause (a), jurisdiction and powers of all courts except the Supreme Court with respect to any of those matters, and fees in respect of any of those matters but not including fees taken in any court.’ ”
The only changes which the amendment seeks to make in the original article 306 are these. From sub-clause (a), it is now proposed to omit petroleum and petroleum products and mechanically propelled vehicles. The reason why petroleum and petroleum products are sought to be omitted from sub-clause (a) is because that item is now included in List I of the Seventh Schedule. Mechanically propelled vehicles are omitted because they are at present de-controlled and they are placed in the Concurrent List. If the Centre wishes to legislate, it can legislate. Sub-clause (b) of the original article, relief and rehabilitation of displaced persons, is no longer necessary because that is also put in the Concurrent List. In regard to sub-clause (c), Inquiries and Statistics is also included in the Concurrent List and therefore this is also omitted. It is only a consequential thing. These are all the changes which this amendment seeks to make in the original article 306.
Mr. President : May I enquire of Dr. Ambedkar ? My impression is that cattle fodder including oil cakes and other concentrates was one of the things, adequate control over which was at one time felt necessary. The Government of India Act was sought to be amended; but it would not be amended at the time and considerable difficulty was being felt. I do not know whether you have considered that.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : This article was re-drafted in consultation with the Industry and Supply Department. We have put in these matters which they thought were necessary to be controlled by the Centre, for a period of five years. If the House thinks that any particular addition may be made to the items included in sub-cluse (a), I certainly have no objection.
*CAD, Vol. X, 7th October 1949, pp.3-4.