PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1031
and Satara South, the rolls have been printed both in Marathi and Kannada. In Bombay City the electoral rolls have been printed in Devanagari script.
(b) and (c) The attention of the hon. Member is invited to my reply given to part (b) of Shri Kamath’s starred question No. 1409 on the 13th February 1951.
The cost of printing the electoral rolls in English in respect of the Bombay City is estimated at rupees six lakhs and will be shared by the Government of Bombay and the Government of India in the same way as any other expenditure relating to the preparation of the electoral rolls will be shared.
Shri Sonavane : May I know after how many days or months of completion of the rolls printed in Devnagari in the Bombay City were these directions given to printing the rolls in English?
Dr. Ambedkar : I cannot give a precise answer to this question, but I think the direction was issued after complaints were received by the Election Commissioner that there were many people in Bombay City who would not be in a position to understand the Hindi rolls.
Shri Sonavane : Could this direction not have been given earlier which would have saved an extra expenditure of six lakhs over the printing of these rolls ?
Dr. Ambedkar : It is perfectly possible, I think. Nothing is impossible.
Shri Sonavane : Who is responsible for this waste of money ?
Dr. Ambedkar : There is no waste of money at all there. In any case it was necessary to have a roll in English whether it was printed simultaneously, earlier or later.
Shri Sonavane : But could not the simultaneous printing of rolls in Devnagari and English have reduced the expenditure ?
Dr. Ambedkar : No, how could it ?
Shri Kamath : Have reports been received from Bombay and other States as to how many claims and objections have been filed in respect of the electoral rolls published already, and how many of those claims and objections have been disposed of?