DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68026#0191
ROYAL COMMISSION UPON DECENTRALIZATION.
185
lie added that by reason of his professional training
every Indian Medical Service officer may be pre-
sumed to be fitted for employment as a Civil Sur-
geon, and it 'is stated in paragraph 22 of the
“ Memorandum regarding the position of officers
appointed to His Majesty’s Indian Medical Ser-
vice,” issued by the India Office, that a large
number of such posts are ordinarily filled up from
officers of that Service.
45872**. Should not the Bombay Government be
empowered to grant privilege leave of one month
to the Lady Doctor m temporary employ of the
Bombay Health Trust?—Under Article 242 (a),
Civil Service Regulations, privilege leave to an
officer in temporary employ can be granted only
on the condition that his (or her) duties can be
provided for without additional expense to the
State. In the case of the Lady Doctor in ques-
tion additional expenditure was entailed because
in addition to her full salary it was also necessary
to pay for her substitute. As such an arrange-
ment was outside the regular rules, the special
sanction of the Government of India was neces-
sary. I think the rules might properly be modi-
fied so as to empower the Local Government to
deal with such cases.
45873**. Should not power to prohibit fairs in
cases of cholera, under the Epidemic Diseases Act,
1897, be left to provincial Governments?—The
danger of cholera infection has been considered by
the Government of India on various occasions,
and they have always held that interference with
pilgrimages or religious gatherings should be re-
sorted to only in extreme cases of proved neces-
sity, for any coercive measures are likely to be
regarded with distrust and dissatisfaction by the
people. For this reason the Government of
India are reluctant to delegate to Local Govern-
ments the power to prohibit fairs under the Epi-
demic Diseases Act in cases of cholera.
45874.**. Are you of opinion that Indian Edu-
cational Officers are sufficiently acquainted with
the current vernaculars?—! consider that their
acquaintance with the vernaculars is imperfect.
They have of course passed the prescribed
examinations, but, as a rule, theii- mastery of the
spoken language is insufficient, and this tends to
impair- their influence and to restrict their oppor-
tunities of gaining knowledge of Indian habits and
ways of thought.
45875**. How far do the Government of India
control the general medical policy of the provincial
Governments, e.g., in the case of Hospital
Assistants, Assistant Surgeons, and Apothecaries?
—In order to preserve uniformity in the pay,
status and prospects of Civil Assistant Surgeons
and 'Civil Hospital Assistants the Government of
India have, with the sanction of the Secretary of
State, issued rules in regard to the matters referred
to above. Subject to these rules the Local Govern-
ments have full powers in dealing with the sub-
ordinates serving under them. In the case of
Military Assistant Surgeons the sanction of the
Government of India is required only when such
‘ an officer is to be posted as 'Civil Surgeon to a
station. which is reserved for an officer of the
Indian Medical Service. In regard to Civil
Apothecaries, who are a class of officers inter-
mediate between Civil Assistant .Surgeons and
Civil Hospital Assistants, and are employed at
present only in Madras, the Government of India
exercise no control.
45876**. Why did the Government of India
resolution prescribe for all provinces a uniform
bond for Hospital Assistants with a uniform
penalty which was unsuited to Burma? Could
the amount of penalty not be changed without
reference to Government of India? — A uniform
penalty was prescribed by the Government of
India, because the amount of the penalty, namely,
Rs. 400, represented the approximate average cost
incurred by Government in the professional educa-
tion of one Civil Hospital Assistant, and. also
because it was thought desirable that members of
the same Service should as far as possible be
treated, alike. In. 1905. Burma represented that,
33383
so far as that province was concerned, the penalty
of Rs. 400 was found from experience to be in-
sufficient to deter Hospital Assistants from evading
their obligations, and the Government of India
therefore sanctioned its being raised to Rs. 1,000.
The sanction of the Government of India was
necessary because the Local Government’s proposal
involved a modification of general orders.
45877**. Why should the status of Hospital
Assistants be the same in all provinces?—I see no
reason why the status of Civil Hospital Assistants
should be the same in all provinces.
45878**. As Hospital Assistants are paid wholly
by the provincial Governments how are the
Government of India justified in suggesting a
general increase in their pay?—This question, it is
understood, has reference to the representations
submitted in 1906 by Hospital Assistants regard-
ing their pay and prospects. It is not the case,
as implied in the above question, that the Govern-
ment of India have suggested a general increase
in the pay of this class of subordinates. All that
the Government of India have done up to the
present is to inform the Local Governments that
representations on the subject have been received
from one province and to ask that, should similar
representations have been submitted by the sub-
ordinates of the other provinces, they may be
forwarded to them in due course. The replies
from Local Governments have been received. They
have all recommended that the pay of Hospital
Assistants should be raised, and the matter is now
under the consideration of the Government, of
India. If it is held that the conditions of service
ought to be uniform throughout India the Govern-
ment of India is obviously the only authority
capable of deciding what those conditions should
be.
45879**. Why did the Hospital Assistant scheme
go up to Government of India? Was it a local
scheme or a Government of India scheme?—The
scheme has been sent up to the Government of
India in accordance with a financial rule which
requires that no class or grade of officers may be
created or abolished, and the pay of no class or
grade of officers may be raised or reduced without
the previous sanction of the Government, of India.
45880**. Why must the service of Medical Offi-
cers be recruited on the application of provincial
Governments through the Government of India,
Home Department, who refer the matter to the
Director-General, who consults the Principal
Medical Officer and these two conjointly nominate
to provincial Governments?—Because they are re-
cruited from the Indian Medical Service, an im-
perial military Service the members of which have
at the time of entering the Service been allotted
to particular provinces or groups of provinces with
reference to the contingency of their taking civil
employment.
45881**. Does the Sanitary Commissioner with
the Government of India correspond with the offi-
cers of provincial Governments before the orders
of the Government of India are issued? Are any
Government of India orders on the subject of
sanitation issued without consultation with the
Sanitary Commissioner?—The Sanitary Commis-
sioner with the Government of India is permitted
to correspond with the provincial 'Sanitary Com-
missioners and the Heads of provincial labora-
tories regarding matters of departmental proce-
dure, forms and statistics, and purely technical
questions. These may or may not be connected
with any scheme then under consideration or in
contemplation. The Sanitary Commissioner is
consulted by the Government of India on all cases
of major importance before orders issue.
45882**. If provincial Medical authorities would
have dismissed officers whom they cannot now
revert to military employment or otherwise get
rid of, should not the process of reversion be
revised?—The rules which now govern the subject
are the outcome of many years’ discussion between
the Government of India and the Secretary of
State, and I see no sufficient reason for revising
2 A
Sir Herbert
Hisley.
1 Apr.. 1908.
185
lie added that by reason of his professional training
every Indian Medical Service officer may be pre-
sumed to be fitted for employment as a Civil Sur-
geon, and it 'is stated in paragraph 22 of the
“ Memorandum regarding the position of officers
appointed to His Majesty’s Indian Medical Ser-
vice,” issued by the India Office, that a large
number of such posts are ordinarily filled up from
officers of that Service.
45872**. Should not the Bombay Government be
empowered to grant privilege leave of one month
to the Lady Doctor m temporary employ of the
Bombay Health Trust?—Under Article 242 (a),
Civil Service Regulations, privilege leave to an
officer in temporary employ can be granted only
on the condition that his (or her) duties can be
provided for without additional expense to the
State. In the case of the Lady Doctor in ques-
tion additional expenditure was entailed because
in addition to her full salary it was also necessary
to pay for her substitute. As such an arrange-
ment was outside the regular rules, the special
sanction of the Government of India was neces-
sary. I think the rules might properly be modi-
fied so as to empower the Local Government to
deal with such cases.
45873**. Should not power to prohibit fairs in
cases of cholera, under the Epidemic Diseases Act,
1897, be left to provincial Governments?—The
danger of cholera infection has been considered by
the Government of India on various occasions,
and they have always held that interference with
pilgrimages or religious gatherings should be re-
sorted to only in extreme cases of proved neces-
sity, for any coercive measures are likely to be
regarded with distrust and dissatisfaction by the
people. For this reason the Government of
India are reluctant to delegate to Local Govern-
ments the power to prohibit fairs under the Epi-
demic Diseases Act in cases of cholera.
45874.**. Are you of opinion that Indian Edu-
cational Officers are sufficiently acquainted with
the current vernaculars?—! consider that their
acquaintance with the vernaculars is imperfect.
They have of course passed the prescribed
examinations, but, as a rule, theii- mastery of the
spoken language is insufficient, and this tends to
impair- their influence and to restrict their oppor-
tunities of gaining knowledge of Indian habits and
ways of thought.
45875**. How far do the Government of India
control the general medical policy of the provincial
Governments, e.g., in the case of Hospital
Assistants, Assistant Surgeons, and Apothecaries?
—In order to preserve uniformity in the pay,
status and prospects of Civil Assistant Surgeons
and 'Civil Hospital Assistants the Government of
India have, with the sanction of the Secretary of
State, issued rules in regard to the matters referred
to above. Subject to these rules the Local Govern-
ments have full powers in dealing with the sub-
ordinates serving under them. In the case of
Military Assistant Surgeons the sanction of the
Government of India is required only when such
‘ an officer is to be posted as 'Civil Surgeon to a
station. which is reserved for an officer of the
Indian Medical Service. In regard to Civil
Apothecaries, who are a class of officers inter-
mediate between Civil Assistant .Surgeons and
Civil Hospital Assistants, and are employed at
present only in Madras, the Government of India
exercise no control.
45876**. Why did the Government of India
resolution prescribe for all provinces a uniform
bond for Hospital Assistants with a uniform
penalty which was unsuited to Burma? Could
the amount of penalty not be changed without
reference to Government of India? — A uniform
penalty was prescribed by the Government of
India, because the amount of the penalty, namely,
Rs. 400, represented the approximate average cost
incurred by Government in the professional educa-
tion of one Civil Hospital Assistant, and. also
because it was thought desirable that members of
the same Service should as far as possible be
treated, alike. In. 1905. Burma represented that,
33383
so far as that province was concerned, the penalty
of Rs. 400 was found from experience to be in-
sufficient to deter Hospital Assistants from evading
their obligations, and the Government of India
therefore sanctioned its being raised to Rs. 1,000.
The sanction of the Government of India was
necessary because the Local Government’s proposal
involved a modification of general orders.
45877**. Why should the status of Hospital
Assistants be the same in all provinces?—I see no
reason why the status of Civil Hospital Assistants
should be the same in all provinces.
45878**. As Hospital Assistants are paid wholly
by the provincial Governments how are the
Government of India justified in suggesting a
general increase in their pay?—This question, it is
understood, has reference to the representations
submitted in 1906 by Hospital Assistants regard-
ing their pay and prospects. It is not the case,
as implied in the above question, that the Govern-
ment of India have suggested a general increase
in the pay of this class of subordinates. All that
the Government of India have done up to the
present is to inform the Local Governments that
representations on the subject have been received
from one province and to ask that, should similar
representations have been submitted by the sub-
ordinates of the other provinces, they may be
forwarded to them in due course. The replies
from Local Governments have been received. They
have all recommended that the pay of Hospital
Assistants should be raised, and the matter is now
under the consideration of the Government, of
India. If it is held that the conditions of service
ought to be uniform throughout India the Govern-
ment of India is obviously the only authority
capable of deciding what those conditions should
be.
45879**. Why did the Hospital Assistant scheme
go up to Government of India? Was it a local
scheme or a Government of India scheme?—The
scheme has been sent up to the Government of
India in accordance with a financial rule which
requires that no class or grade of officers may be
created or abolished, and the pay of no class or
grade of officers may be raised or reduced without
the previous sanction of the Government, of India.
45880**. Why must the service of Medical Offi-
cers be recruited on the application of provincial
Governments through the Government of India,
Home Department, who refer the matter to the
Director-General, who consults the Principal
Medical Officer and these two conjointly nominate
to provincial Governments?—Because they are re-
cruited from the Indian Medical Service, an im-
perial military Service the members of which have
at the time of entering the Service been allotted
to particular provinces or groups of provinces with
reference to the contingency of their taking civil
employment.
45881**. Does the Sanitary Commissioner with
the Government of India correspond with the offi-
cers of provincial Governments before the orders
of the Government of India are issued? Are any
Government of India orders on the subject of
sanitation issued without consultation with the
Sanitary Commissioner?—The Sanitary Commis-
sioner with the Government of India is permitted
to correspond with the provincial 'Sanitary Com-
missioners and the Heads of provincial labora-
tories regarding matters of departmental proce-
dure, forms and statistics, and purely technical
questions. These may or may not be connected
with any scheme then under consideration or in
contemplation. The Sanitary Commissioner is
consulted by the Government of India on all cases
of major importance before orders issue.
45882**. If provincial Medical authorities would
have dismissed officers whom they cannot now
revert to military employment or otherwise get
rid of, should not the process of reversion be
revised?—The rules which now govern the subject
are the outcome of many years’ discussion between
the Government of India and the Secretary of
State, and I see no sufficient reason for revising
2 A
Sir Herbert
Hisley.
1 Apr.. 1908.