The Union Government is greatly concerned over the continued influx of refugees from East Pakistan into West Bengal. Nearly a lakh of persons have crossed over since January. The Prime Minister has been holding a series of discussions with her senior colleagues as to how best they could be rehabilitated. It was noticed that Bengal had reached saturation point. Six Joint Secretaries visited some States which have agreed to take the refugees for resettlement and had discussions with the authorities concerned on measures to expedite rehabilitation. The States include Bihar, U.P., Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Mr. D. Sanjivayya, Union Minister for Labour and Rehabilitation, had talks with his junior Ministers and the Ministers of State in the Home Ministry on a crash programme for quick resettlement in the six States. The Prime Minister is believed to have emphasised that pending permanent rehabilitation arrangements, steps should be taken to provide temporary accommodation. So far, 55,000 persons have been provided temporary accommodation in the States.
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