Slow Rate of Dispersal Worries State
By Our Special Representative, The West Bengal Government is understood to have conveyed to the Center recently its anxiety over the slow rate of dispersal of Bangladesh evacuees to other States. It has pointed out that the total influx on the other hand is steadily mounting.
According to the State Government only about 200,000 evacuees have so far been shifted to other States, especially to Madhya Pradesh, whereas the center gave it in May that about 2.5 million would be dispersed from West Bengal.
It had also been decided that to accommodate evacuees in other States the Center on its own would make available land belonging to it. Such land has since been selected in several States. But the States concerned are believed to have been opposing movement of evacuees to these areas on the argument that this might cause tension locally.
Following the State Government’s latest representation to the Center in this connection the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Rehabilitation has come to Calcutta to hold talks with local officials. He is understood to have assured the State Government that an arrangement would soon be made to transfer 300,000 more evacuees to other States.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 18.07.1971