US airlift of DPs from Thursday
New Delhi, June 11 : A massive airlift to transport refugees from Tripura to Guwahati will be launched by the US Air Force planes from next Thursday.
Col. Charles E. Turnipseed, commander of the US Air Force, C-130 aircraft that returned yesterday from Agartala after a feasibility flight said today that four C-130 aircraft would initially be pressed into service to fly out 1,000 refugees a day.
For the first time since the partition of the sub-continent refugees will be airlifted and that too by the air force planes of a major power.
Col. Turnipseed pointed out that it would not be possible to airlift more people in a day because of the monsoon in the area. He indicated that the operation might be extended to other sectors at a later stage.
Each plane would take two trips between the two points. It would carry medicines and food supplies from Gauhati to Agartala and on the return flight carry refugees to Gauhati.
He explained that since loading and unloading of refugees and supplies would take considerable time it would not be possible to increase the frequency of trips.
Asked about the cost of the operation he said, “It is purely a matter of friendship and service for the cause of humanity.” He hoped that the voluntary agencies engaged in relief work would coordinate their activities with them for the airlift.
A Soviet Transport plane is expected to arrive in Calcutta on Sunday to assist the Indian authorities in airlifting evacuees to the Mana camp in Madhya Pradesh.
Operating thrice daily the Soviet Plane would carry in each trip 200 evacuees according to West Bengal’s Minister of State for Refugee Relief, Mr. Ananda Mohan Biswas.
Among the evacuees who are expected to be airlifted first are those staying near Calcutta particularly in Dum Dum international airport areas.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 12.06.1971