DRAFT CONSTITUTION 527
We have removed this 40 per cent ratio granted to the States and there will be equality of representation in the Upper Chamber, both to the Indian States us well as to the Provinces, and I am in a position to give some figures, which although they are not exact for the moment, are sufficient to give a picture of what is likely to be the contents of Schedule 3-A.
According to Schedule 3-A, the Provinces will have 141 seats. The Chief Commissioners’ Provinces will have two and the States will have seventy altogether. Consequently, the total of elected members to the Upper Chamber will be 213. Add to that twelve nominated seats; That would bring the total to 225. Our clause, as amended, says that the total strength of the Council of States shall not exceed
- You will thus see that the allocation of seats which it is proposed to make in Schedule 3-A satisfies two conditions, in the first place it removes? weightage and secondly, it brings the total of the House within the maximum that has been prescribed by the amendment that I have made, I think the House will find that this is a very satisfactory position.
Pandit Hirday Nath Kunzru : May I ask my honourable Friend whether the Staes in Part III of the first Schedule have been represented in accordance with their population?,
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Yes, everybody will now. get population ratio.
Then I come to the second amendment—No. 1377 by Prof. K.T. Shah. Prof. K. T. Shah proposes that there should be a council pf the representatives of agriculture, industry, commerce and other special interests created by statute. It will be a permanent body of people. The States shall be required to give them salaries, allowances, and the duty of this council, as proposed by Prof. K. T. Shah, is that it shall have the statutory duty of giving advice to Government, and the Government will have the statutory obligation of consulting this body, and it shall not be permissible for the Government, I take it, to introduce any measure which, on the face of it, does not bear the endorsement that the statutory body has been consulted with regard to the contents of that Bill. I believe that is the purpose of Prof. K. T. Shah’s amendment.
There are various objections to this. In the first place anyone who has held any portfolio in the Government of India or in the Provincial