Sir SEYMOUR KINGasked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he will state what decision, if any, the Secretary of State has come to in regard to the griev- 888W ances set forth in the memorials submitted to him by the Bombay political officers; and whether he can state what concessions he proposes to make?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe Secretary of State has approved, with effect from 1st January last, the introduction of a time scale for the lower grades of the Bombay Political Department, which will give an officer entering the Department an initial pay of Rs. 500 a month, whatever his standing in the Army may be, and will entitle him to an increase of Bs. 50 a year until he completes his ninth year of service in the Department. From his tenth year he will draw Rs. 1,000, from his thirteenth year Rs. 1,100, and from his sixteenth year Rs. 1,200 until he receives promotion to one of the superior grades. The introduction of the time-scale will involve the automatic withdrawal of acting allowances and exchange compensation allowance, except where the withdrawal of that allowance would involve an immediate loss to a particular officer. Further, the increase has been approved of the pay of one superior appointment in the Bombay Political Department from Rs. 1,800 a month to Rs. 2,250 a month.