PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 575
Mr. Deputy Speaker: The question is :
“That clause 17 stand part of the Bill.”
Clause 17 was added to the Bill.
Clause 18.— ( Returning Officer for each Constituency )
Sardar Hukam Singh (Punjab) : I beg to move.
In clause 18, for “who shall be such officer of Government as” substitute “whom”.
- Dr. Ambedkar: It is difficult to accept this amendment. I agree with my friend Sardar Hukam Singh that we might to some extent depend upon non-official agency. Certainly our election would be much quicker if we can expand the staff under the Election Commissioner by drawing upon people who are not in the administrative service of the Government. But at the same time we have to recognise that all the Governments and bodies whom the Government of India had consulted in this matter have insisted that the machinery should be entirely official. That being so I am afraid it is not possible to accept the amendment.
** Shri J. R. Kapoor: I beg to move:
In the proviso to sub-clause (2) of clause 20, at the end, add :
“In which case the seniormost Government servant among the Assistant Returning Officers shall perform the said functions.”
Mr. Deputy Speaker: Who is to decide as to who is the seniormost ?
Shri J. R. Kapoor: The answer is very simple. There is a civil list which gives the seniority of officers.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: But if they are from different Departments ?
Shri J. R. Kapoor : If the point is that my suggestion does not solve difficulty, we can find out some method by which
*P. D. Vol. 12, Part II, 15th May 1951, p. 8765.
** Ibid., pp. 8774-75.