COUNCIL OF STATES

Thursday, 25th February 1954

The Council met at two of the clock, Mr. Chairman in the Chair

Oral Answers to Questions

Architects who prepared Plans for National Laboratories

*112. SHRI M. VALIULLA: Will the Minister for NATURAL RESOURCES AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH be pleased to state:

(a) the number of Indian firms of architects who prepared the plans for the National Laboratories in India; and 

(b) whether any non-Indian firms were also employed to prepare the plans; and if so, which are those firms? 

THE DEPUTY MINISTER FOR NATURAL RESOURCES AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (SHRI K. D. MALAVIYA): (a) and (b). A statement giving the required information is laid on the Table of the Council. [See Appendix VII, Annexure No. 61.]

SHRI M. VALIULLA: I don't find the answer to question (b). My question was whether any non-Indian firms were also employed to prepare the plans; and if so, which are those firms?

PROF. G. RANGA: None, I suppose.

SHRI K. D. MALAVIYA: Yes, there is none now.

SHRI M. VALIULLA: May I take it that some of the other laboratories were prepared by non-Indians?

SHRI K. D. MALAVIYA: No, most of them were designed and the work in connection with the plans was done by Indians except in the case of the Fuel Research Institute, Dhanbad, and the National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur. In those cases they were done by a firm, which was previously a non-Indian firm but  now the report says that it is an Indian firm.

SHRI M. V ALIULLA: In the statement only 6 or 7 names are given. Altogether I take it there are more than 12 laboratories. Are other laboratories in rented buildings or in Government buildings, or are there no buildings at all?

SHRI K. D. MALAVIYA: With regard to other laboratories which have no buildings of their own constructed for themselves, they have been given buildings by the States, e.g., the Central Food Technological Institute, Mysore, and the Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow. The States Governments have placed buildings at their disposal.

SHRI M. VALIULLA: Regarding item 5 which you say is now an Indian firm, how many English people are still there or is it fully managed by Indians now?

SHRI K. D. MALAVIYA: I cannot specifically say but I presume that a majority of the shares, etc., are now in Indian hands and now it has been converted into an Indian firm.

SHRI M. V ALIULLA: Is there any difference in the remuneration—between the fees to non-Indians and Indians?

SHRI K. D. MALAVIYA: No, Sir. Recently we have succeeded in reducing the fees of designers and architects and we have persuaded them to take less fees but in the case of those buildings that were planned and constructed between 1944 and 1946, the Government paid higher fees.

SHRI M. VALIULLA: Are they of Indian style? What is the style taken into consideration?

SHRI K. D. MALAVIYA: I will advise the hon. Member to go and see some of these.