20 big camps for refugees planned
From Our Special Correspondent, NEW DELHI, MAY 30 The Government has decided to set up 20 compact, large size camps in Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, West Bengal and elsewhere, each accommodating about 40,000 to 50,000 evacuees, disclosed Mr. Khadilkar, the Union Minister for Rehabilitation at a news conference here this afternoon. The aim is to relieve the pressure on about the 400 existing refugee camps in Eastern India. Sites for the camp, including one each at Silchar and Lido (both in Assam), are being studied by engineers.
These large-size camps, which will be under the direct administrative supervision and control of the Central Government will be semi-permanent structures. Services of retired army officers will be utilized for running these camps. About 50,000 of the evacuees are being sent to Mana camp in Madhya Pradesh the day after tomorrow.
The Central Government is gearing up whatever apparatus it has to combat a cholera epidemic in the refugee camps in West Bengal, according to the Minister.
With the number of evacuees crossing the four-million mark today and the danger of an epidemic imminent. The Government is considering if the Army Medical Corps and the Railways’ medical services should be put to work.
He said an arrangement had been made to send to West Bengal about 8,000 bottles of saline injections every alternate day and 3,000 of them had been dispatched two days ago.
Mr. Khadilkar said he would discuss with the World Health Organization if the modern method of using gun syringes to administer cholera inoculation could be availed of.
The Minister was asked whether it was true that the Government had been rather indifferent to the grave danger of epidemics breaking out in various parts of West Bengal and perhaps in other States also.
According to Mr. Khadilkar, the number of refugees may even go up to 8 million if the present rate of influx continues. Even if the Center’s schemes come off within a month, it will be able to take in the projected large-size camps only about ten percent of this.
This Minister admitted that the Government had just started taking care of the loose ends because till now it had been engrossed in the task of supplying relief to the evacuees.
About a statement of the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr. Mukherjee, that the Centre should take over the entire responsibility of looking after the evacuees Mr. Khadilkar said he understood the reasons “why they feel restive” But he was glad West Bengal was fully cooperating with the Center. “We have assured them (the West Bengal Government) that all expenses will be borne by all Center and that we shall strengthen the administrative apparatus in the way they want.”
The following figures of evacuee arrival given by the Minister show the weekly number has been steadily going up. During the week ending on April 24 it was 536,308 the next week it was 1,251,544 the next 1,572,220 the next 2,669,226 the next 3,435,243 and in the week ending on May 29, it was 3,765,840.
According to Mr. Khadilkar the requirements for 3.75 million evacuees for six months will be about Rs. 180 crores. (Formerly, on the basis of 2.5 million evacuees, the cost had been put at about Rs. 132 crores). And by today the cost figure should be around Rs. 200 crores.
The items of the requirements include rice, salt, edible oil, sugar, pulses, milk powder, medicine, tents, clothings utensils, beddings, mosquito nets, jeeps, trucks, ambulances and relief administration.
Mr. Khadilkar said the Center would find out if refugees could be dispersed to Bihar. He was, however, firm that there was no question of rehabilitating these refugees, “They shall have to go back whenever the circumstances are favorable,” he added.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 31.05.1971