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Background: A three-man delegation from the United Nations arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, in response to an Indian Government appeal for help with the problem of the East Pakistan refugees.

Official figures put the number of East Pakistani refugees at more than one and a half million, and the total could soon reach 2 million with an estimated minimum of 60,000 people trekking into India daily.

After talks with the Chief Secretaries in both the Foreign Affairs and the Labour and Rehabilitation Ministries, the U.N. team on Friday pledged the maximum possible help and assistance, but pointed out that it would have to be a shared international effort. This coverage of the arrival of the U.N. team and the talks also includes a meeting between Mrs. Gandhi and Opposition leaders, to review the whole Pakistan situation.

SYNOPSIS: A mission of the United Nations Commission for refugees arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, in response to an Indian appeal for international help to solve the problem of refugees fleeing to India from strife-torn East Pakistan. The number of refugees in India is now more than 1 1/2 million, and an estimated 60,000 more are said to be trekking into India daily.

India's Mr. Kahlon of the Rehabilitation Ministry greeted members of the U.N. mission when talks began. India wants the issue to be treated like the Palestinian refugee problem, and hopes that the U.N. will take full financial responsibility for the refugees. After talks with Chief Secretaries in this and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the U.N. team on Friday pledged the maximum possible help, but pointed out that it would have to be a shared international effort. The Indians have already said that the cost of looking after the refugees would certainly be far beyond its capacity to bear single-handed.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mrs. Gandhi was involved in another meeting on the Pakistan issue. This one was between Government and opposition, to arrive at a national consensus for dealing with the refugee situation and the Pakistan Government.