§ 3. Colonel DAYasked the Under-Secretary of State for India what further sum will be required to complete the Back Bay reclamation scheme at Bombay?
§ Earl WINTERTONThe Back Bay Inquiry Committee reported that the Development Department of the Government of Bombay estimated the cost of completing the whole scheme as originally projected at a sum of Rs.532 4 lakhs, in addition to the sum of Rs.468 lakhs, which had been spent on the reclamation up to 30th June, 1926. The Committee recommended the completion of only a portion of tin original scheme, and stated that the cost of the work which they proposed was necessarily a matter of individual opinion, but they prepared alternative estimates, details of which wilt be found on pages 77 and 78 of their Report, amounting respectively to Rs.135 lakhs and Rs.116 lakhs.
§ Colonel DAYHow much really is that?
§ Earl WINTERTONThe present value of the rupee is 1s. 6d. That makes £7,500 per lakh.
§ Mr. WARDLAW-MILNEWill the recommendations which had previously been made by Sir George Buchanan be carried out under the new scheme?
§ Earl WINTERTONI shall have to have notice of that question. In point of fact, I believe the question is now before the Government of Bombay how far they will carry out all the recommendations of the Committee.
§ 9. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to the Report of the Committee on the Bombay Reclamation that the work would have been more rapid, efficient, and economical if it had been entrusted to contractors instead of being carried out by a department of the Government; and, in view of this conclusion, whether he can state that the completion of the undertaking is being undertaken by contract?
§ Earl WINTERTONI have read the remarks of the Committee in the sense indicated, though they are not in the actual language used by my hon. and gallant Friend. But it is clear that the Committee were expressing an opinion on what should have been done in the first instance, and not after the work had been commenced. As regards the second part of the question, I have no exact official information, but I have no reason to suppose that there has been any departure from the principle of carrying out the scheme mainly by plant and personnel directly under the control of officials of the Government.