Challenge to Goa Bill rejected
Mr. V.C. Shukla, Deputy Home Minister, to-day [November 30, New Delhi] moved for consideration the Goa, Daman and Diu Bill providing for an opinion poll in these three areas to decide their future status, whether the status quo should be continued or they should merge with the adjoining States of Maharashtra and Gujarat as the case may be. A number of constitutional issues were raised by members before discussions began. Mr. H.V. Kamath (PSP) contended that Parliament was not competent to go ahead with this Bill since under the Constitution there was no provision for an opinion poll. He also questioned the constitutional propriety of entrusting the Election Commission with the work of opinion poll in these areas. He was supported by Mr. N. Dandekar (Swat.) who argued that the Chief Election Commissioner could not be entrusted with the work which was statutorily mentioned. Mr. H.N. Mukerjee argued that it was wrong to look upon the Election Commission as a limb of the Government and make it undertake jobs not constitutionally provided. The members from Goa, Mr. Peter Alvares and Mr. Mukund Shinkre, did not see anything wrong in introducing the Bill and Parliament considering it. The Speaker ruled that the House was competent to go ahead with the Bill. He said the Constitution only provided that all election work should be entrusted to the Election Commission to the exclusion of any other agency by the Government. It did not mean that the Election Commission should not do any other work if it was prepared to do so. At the outset Mr. Kamath raised a point of order objecting to Mr. Shukla taking charge of the Bill and insisted that a Cabinet Minister must pilot it. However, the Speaker did not uphold his point of order.
New measures to force Sinhala in govt. service
The Prime Minister, Mr. Dudley Senanayake has instructed his Finance Minister, who is in charge of the Public Service, that “as far as possible, officers holding key positions such as Office Assistant, Chief Clerk, Head of Branch etc. in (Government) departments should be persons who are able to work in the official language (Sinhala). Sinhala is the sole official language of Ceylon, but regulations recently passed provide for the use of Tamil also for administrative purposes in the Tamil-speaking Northern and Eastern provinces. The Prime Minister has also told the Finance Minister that proficiency in Sinhala should be a requirement in granting extensions of service beyond the age of 55 years. (The normal age of retirement for Government servants in Ceylon is 55 years, but extensions are invariably given to them till the age of 60). The Prime Minister’s instructions to the Finance Minister follow the discussions Mr. Senanayake had with a deputation of Sinhala-speaking Rajaye Nidahas Lipikaru Sangmaya (Government Independent Clerical Services Association) last week. The Prime Minister wants every local Government institution, which is able to work in the official language, to be encouraged to work in the official language — Sinhala. He also would like all mercantile establishments to be encouraged to follow the Government official language policy “as much as possible”. New entrants to Government service, who did not have their education in Sinhala medium are required to acquire proficiency in Sinhala within three years of their appointments.
Bill to bar trade unions among policemen passed
The Union Home Minister, Mr. Y.B. Chavan, to-day [November 30, New Delhi] told the Lok Sabha that the Police Forces (Restriction of Rights) Bill which debars Delhi policemen from becoming members of trade unions, had been conceived by the Government now because certain “agencies” were attempting to “tamper” with the loyalties of the guardians of law. The House passed the Bill rejecting Opposition amendments that sought to confer right of association on police personnel. The Opposition also forced a division when Clause 4 was put to vote listing punishments for violation of the provisions of the Bill. A number of Opposition and Congress members supported the Bill during the general discussion. But spokesmen of the Right and Left Communist parties opposed it, accusing the Government of having neglected conditions of service of the police force, particularly Delhi police.
