Evacuees at Salt Lake camp start leaving
By A Staff Reporter, Nearly 619,000 Bangladesh evacuees have left West Bengal up to Thursday. The average daily dispersal since the formal repatriation started on January 1 has exceeded 80,000 according to a State Government spokesman.
The movement of refugees on their journey back home from the Salt Lake camp, the biggest in the State with nearly 350,000 refugees, began on Friday. The official spokesman said more than 750 refugees left on the day in 19 trucks for areas in Jessore and Khulna. He added that more trucks were being secured to raise the number of daily dispersal to at least 1,500. When trains are available for this purpose about 7,000 refugees will be moved out from Salt Lake daily, according to him.
Meanwhile, the Union Government has decided to give journey money to the refugees for traveling from the border to their home. The spokesman said each adult would be given Rs. 2 for distances up to 10 miles, Rs. 5 for 10 miles to 30 miles and Rs. 10 for over 30 miles. Children would be paid at half the rates.
Two shuttle trains would run with refugees daily between Bongaon and Jessore and Khulna. By making two trips each the trains were expected to clear 4,000 refugees daily from today (Saturday). he said.
A sum of Rs. 38,14,56,000 was spent by the West Bengal Government till October 31 to maintain camp evacuees from Bangladesh. Up to October 25 the Government of India had allocated funds to the tune of Rs. 35,20,20,000 for this purpose.
The Item-wise break up of the expenditure towards the evacuees during the period was; Food- Rs. 24,16,43,000; Shelter- Rs.2,73,27,000; Water supply and Sanitation-Rs. 1,31,66,000; Health Measure-Rs. 3,21,72,000; Transport-Rs. 15,53,000; Relief- Rs. 3,50,000 and Miscellaneous-Rs. 6,52,45,000.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 08.01.1972