By another resolution the Association expressed its concern over the strike of the non-gazetted employees in Madhya Pradesh and urged the Madhya Pradesh Government not to make it a prestige issue and to start talks with the representatives of striking employees. Dedication Ceremony By Workers A Santhal woman, Badsuni Manjhin, one of the workers of the Panchet Dam site, performed the dedication ceremoney of the Panchet Dam on December 6 in the presence of the Prime Minister. Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru, in asking the woman worker to perform the ceremoney said that henceforth no Minister should be asked to perform a thing which could rightly be done by a worker. He added: "I am often asked to push a button and perform some ceremony which can be and should be done by a man who has toiled for the project. It is right that the worker who worked hard here is asked to dedicate the project to the nation." Bombay Government Assurances Mr. S. L. Silam, Speaker of the Bombay Legislative Assembly, addressing the inaugural meeting of the 15 member Committee on Government Assurances on December 15 said that it would be his duty to see that the promises, assurances and undertakings given to the House by the Government were "made good in the minimum time". He added: There seems to be some sort of an impression, or shall I say misunderstanding, especially in Government circles that they (Committee) are interested only in infiding faults only in infiding faults and their attitude on the whole is unfriendly and smacking of superiority. Nothing can be farther from truth". The task before the Government and the Parliamentary Committee was a common one-service to the common men. Government Servants' Pay The Finance Minister, Dr. Jivraj Mehta, said in the State Assembly on December 1 that it was not possible for the State Government to take any decision in regard to the recommendations of Central Pay Commission until it had studied them thoroughly. Replying to supplementaries on a question He stated that the upward revision of pay scales of the Class IV servants and the lower grade clerks might necessitate corresponding revision of the pay scales of the higher grade posts, resulting thereby in further expenditure. The merger of a large part of the exist ing dearness allowance in pay would cost the Government a good deal in pensionary liabilities. There was need of the Government of India's assistance if the State Government were to implement the Pay Commission's recommendations. The Bombay State was one of the most heavily taxed States in the country and the scope of increasing taxes, therefore, was limited. The Minister pointed out that the emoluments of the employes of Bombay State were better than those of many other States. Even so the emoluments and other benefits granted to the employees of the Bombay Government were generally lower than those of the employees of the Government of India, even before the implementation of the Pay Commission's recommendations. Police Learn Mob Control Mr. Y. B. Chavan, Chief Minister, informed the State Assembly at question time. on December 7 that more than 26,000 po licemen and officers in Bombay State have so far been trained in "mob control". He said that of these 23,125 were constables, 2,658 head constables, 548 subinspectors, 46 inspectors and 4 superintendents of police. He said that the largest number of officers and men had been trained in Bombay city. Police And The People Bombay's Chief Minister said in Poona on December 13 that efficiency of police force and for that matter of any department of the Government was essentially a problem of human relationship and depended largely upon the mutual relationship between the between the officers and their subordinate staff. He said that the numerical strength of the police force maintained by a State was no index of the efficiency nor a thing to be proud of. A large police force, he added, implied that the State had many problems to tackle and this necessitated the cutting down of expenditure on development activities. The Chief Minister, who was declaring open a new dispensary and a maternity home, built with the aid of Poona Police Welfare Fund, asked members of the Stare police force to be discreet in the collection of contributions from the public for the Fund. This was because their efforts in this respect as members of the police force were likely to be misunderstood and misinterpreted. Magisterial Powers For Police Bombay Government has appointed all the District Superintendents of Police, the Assistant Superintendents of Police and the Deputy Superintendents of Police in Vidarbha, Marathawada, Saurashtra and Kutch. areas of the State as Special Executive Magis trates for the areas falling within their juris diction under Section 14 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code. It has also conferred on them the power to issue orders in urgent cases of nuisance and apprehended danger for preserving peace, preventing crime and detecting offenders in order to their being brought before a Magistrate. The Police Officers of the above category in the old Bombay area had already been appointed as Special Executive Magistrates and conferred similar powers. Delhi New Chief Commissioner Mr. Bhagwan Sahay, who was till recently India's Ambassador in Nepal, took over as Chief Commissioner of Delhi on December 16. Mr. A. D. Pandit, the outgoing Chief Commissioner, has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Housing and Supply. Himachal Pradesh Opposition to Punjab Pay Scales The Lieutenant Governor of Himachal Pradesh has conveyed to the Union Home Ministry the oppossition of the Himachal Subordinate Services Association to the proposed application of Punjab pay scales in the Pradesh, as recommended by the Pay Commission, According to the Association this would result in a heavy financial loss to the employees who were now getting Central scales and had been expecting to benefitted by the Commission's revision of Central scales. Jammu & Kashmir Pay Committee's Report Ghulam The State Premier, Bakshi Mohammed, on December 7 announced that the new scheme of dearness allowance for the State employees, which will be implemented with retrospective effect from April 1 last will impose an additional burden of nearly Rs. 72 laks on the State Exchequer. The increased allowance will be paid in one instalment. After this there would be no question of further revision of pay scales. The pay scales had been revised twice since 1953 and the total burden of revisions since then on the State treasury had been Rs. 2 crores annually, Mr. Bakshi said. The Premier said the minimum wage in the State will now be Rs. 55 per month. The State Government had earmarked Rs. 50 laks in the last budget for increase in dearness allowances, but the provision would now increase by over Rs. 22 laks. Allowances had not been merged in pay of the State employees and nearly all recommendations of the Pay Committee had been accepted, he said. The Premier added that no employee would be retrenched, as recommended by the Pay Committee. The State Government on December 13 published recommendations of the Pay Committee, appointed in August, 1958, in a State Gazette Extraordinary. The Government decisions on the various other recommendations-that on the increase in dearness allowance having been announced a weekearlier were also announced in the Gazette. The Government has not accepted as obligatory the varying of dearness allowance whenever the cost of living index varied within the range of 50. This is because "the grant of allowances depended on several considerations, the most important of them being the available resources of the Government at the moment". The Government, however, agreed that as soon as the cost of living rose above 50, the Government should immediately appoint an inquiry committee to see the effect of the increase on the financial condition of its employees. The Government have accepted the recommendations of the Pay Committee that efficiency bars should be introduced at intervals of five years and the classification of the Government servants into superior and inferior classes may be abandoned and also that cost of living index figures should be compiled for the State and regionwise. In respect of far-fing areas the Government accepted the recommendation that compensatory allowance should be given in respect of inaccessible areas other than Ladakh also. The recommedation that the present rate of compensatory allowance of 50 percent should be increased to 75 percent was not accepted because the sale of foodgrains, sugar and kerosene was also being subsidised. In this connection, the Government agreed to calculate the allowance on salary. Regarding accommodation for Government employees, it was agreed that rent free accommodation be provided only to those who were constantly required at their places of work. The general rule, according to which rents were charged at 10 percent of the pay or at standard rate, whichever is lower, should be made applicable to all Go vernment accommodation. The Government also agreed "as far as possible" that the provision of Government accommodation may have its emphasis on accommodating employees drawing Rs. 100 or less a month. Regarding pension and gratuity the Pay Committee's recommendations were: 1. Pensionary gratuity may be made a rule in cases where the servant meets death or disability in course of duty. 2. Gratuity may be given ex gratia either as a lump sum or as pension in cases where a servant met death or disability not in the course of duty; and 3. On retirement a Government servant should be permitted to his pension. commute a part of The Government's decision on the first and second recommendations is: "This is being done at present also and rules to cover all cases are being sanctioned". The Governbut added "it will be put into force as soon ment accepted the third recommendation as financial resources permit". It also accepted in principle the recommendation that the consolidated pay should generally be adjusted in pay scales in those cases where employees were full-time servants on a monthly basis. The Government agreed that the minimum emoluments of a whole time servant be Rs. 55 a month but instead of a maximum of Rs. 1,000 as recommended by the Committee in respect of major heads of departments, the Government agreed to only Rs. 960. It accepted the recommendation that gazetted and non-gazetted pay scales should be distinct. The Pay Committee had recommended the implementation of the new scales of dearness allowance from September, 1958, but the Government agreed to apply it from April, 1959. Thankful Employees Following the announcement of the increase in dearness allowance, hundreds of clerks and other Government employees went to the residence of Bakshi Ghulam Mohamed, the Premier, in Jammu, and expressed their gartitude to him for the liberal concessions. The Premier called on the employees to work hard for the progress and prosperity of the community. On December 10 a thanksgiving police parade was held in Srinagar Mr. L. D. Thakur, D. I. G., took the salute at the parade and called upon the members of the Kashmir police force to spare no efforts to serve the country. The parade gave three cheers to the Kashmir Government and the Chief Minister, for having reised the dearness allowance of the Government servants. Former Premier's Claim The suit of Mr. Ram Chandra Kak, former Kashmir Premier, claiming arrears of his pension amounting to Rs. 91,466 from the Kashmir Government was dismissed by Mr. Justice Syed Murtza Fazl Ali of Jammu and Kashmir High Court on December 3. His lordship, however, observed that the Government may consider the advisability of restoring pension of Mr. Kak henceforward. The judge upheld the plea of the State's Advocate General that the Government could withhold pension under the State Government Regulations. He said: "The power given to Government was purely contiactual and based on reasonable classification. If Government exercises its right to withhold pension from a person who has been convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude, it cannot be said to be unreasonable restriction". The court recalled that Mr. Ram Chandra Kak had been tried for three criminal offences in April, 1948; in two he was acquitted and in the third sentenced to jail. This sentence, however, was latter remitted by His Highness. Prosecution of Engineers The State Government has appointed Mr. Badri Das, Deputy Inspector General of Police, as Special prosecutor to prosecute 20 officials of the Engineering Department, before the one-man tribunal, consisting of Mr. M. A. Shahmiri, a former Judge of the High Court. These officers are being prosecuted for the alleged embezzlement in the construction of the Leh Road. Kerala Congress Promise of Honest The election manifesto entitled "Towards a Peaceful, Progressive and Democratic Kerala", issued on December 10, the Kerala Pradesh Congres Committee indicted the Communist Party and assured an "honest and fair administration to satisfy the people's aspirations". The manifesto described the Communist Party as a "menace to our independence and democracy". The Congress programme gives priority to the "restoration of the rule of law and equal opportunities for all", irrespective of caste, creed or political affiliation. It also pledged to repair the damage done to the State services by the previous administration. The manifesto adds that under the 28-months Communist rule for the benefit of a small section, the Government apparatus was deliberately and cleverly utilised to control all fields of economic activities. It says that the powers that the State possessed were virtually delegated by the Government to the party. The Congress Party promised a "stable and good" administration. P. S. P. Promise of Pure Administration The Praja Socialist Party, which has entered into an electoral arrangement with the Congress and the Muslim League, in its manifesto, which was released on December 16, pledged to endeavour its best "to widen and deepen the democratic unity and to translate into honest and efficient Government on the principles and practices of democracy". It described the coming elections in Kerala as an election "to save democracy, culture and civilisation", and said that Communism "which in power in Kerala becomes the more sinister in the context of Communist China's invasion of India and equivocation indulged in by the Communist Party of India." The manifesto said the P. S. P. will try its utmost to create the machinery and conditions for establishing democratic socialism. In regard to administration, the Party feels. that the administration set up in Kerala has to be purified. The party would try its best to weed out corruption from the services. For administrative efficiency and successful implementation of Five Year Plans, "it is necessary that there should be a decentralised administrative set-up at the district and village levels and people's representatives should be associated with the several aspects of administration. Decentralisation is essential to render democracy more real and vital." The manifesto says that a good and democratic government is precisely what the Communists by the very logic of their principles and practices are incapable of providing. Communist Promise Administrative The Communist Party in its election manifesto, which was released to the Press on December 17, said that if returned to power, the Party will implement the recommendations of Administrative Reforms Committee for democratic decentralisation of administration. In particular, it will enact the Panchayat and District Councils Bill into law and establish new elected Panchayats and District Councils on that basis. The Party will also recognise the N. E. S. Blocks and Taluks to become co-terminus as recommended by the Administrative Reforms Committee The new police policy enuniciated by the former Communist-led Government, the mani festo says, must be carried forward. The work of the Police Code Revision Committee must be completed and its recommendations accepted and carried out in consultation with the people's representatives. The new police policy would not allow the police to suppress the legitimate activities of the Opposition parties and the just and peaceful agitations and struggles of the masses. police would at the same time maintain law and order and prevent and suppress the antipeople activities of the anti-social forces. The The election manifesto assures the electorate that "effective steps would be taken to eradicate corruption and red-tapism in the administration." Police Reorganisation Committee Mr. N. C. Chatterji, Chairman of the Kerala Police Re-organisation Committee, said in Ernakulam on December 28 that the Committee had completed its work and its report was ready. He added that the Committee would meet in Trivandrum in the middle of January to finalies its report, after which it would be submitted to the Government. Mr. Chatterji said the recommendations of the Committee would be unanimous despite the divergence of opinion on some by the terms of reference. The role of the police in employer-employee relationship, the regulatory and restrictive powers on the exercise of fundamental rights of citizens and the use of fire-arms by police, were among the more controversial issues on which the Comittee had been asked to report. of the controversial issues referred to it He pointed out that the police in Kerala had been subjected to great stresses and strains having regard to having regard to the peculiar the peculiar conditions prevailing in the State. "We have, therefore, tried to do our best to make constructive suggestions so that the fundamental or basic rights of the citizens may not be impaired and, at the same time, the guardians of law and order can effectively function without undue interference or possibility of victimisation", Mr. Chatterji added. Promotion On Merit A meeting of Government servants was held in Trivandrum on December 29 to introducing merit as the criterion for promoprotest against the recent Government order tions. The Government has also constituted a Departmental Promotion Council to examine cases for promotion from non-gazetted to gazetted ranks. The various associations of Government servants in Kerala in a joint memorandum to the Adviser to the Governor have requested the Government to cancel the order introducing merit as the criterion for promotion instead of mere seniority. The memorandum described the system as "primitive" and said that "with a view to avoiding demoralisation and discontent in service" it should be cancelled forthwith and the old practice continued "till a fully thought out scheme is introduced and implemented with the goodwill of those interests the Government are bound to protect." Dissatisfaction with the new Government order arises mainly from the fact that in the absence of an adequate formula for determining merit it will give room for abuses. Administrative Irregularities Following a probe into the working of |