NEW DELHI, April 10—A national committee has been formed here to coordinate a growing number of private and local‐government efforts underway in India to raise money and supplies for East Pakistanis in their bid for independence.

The committee is headed by M. C. Setalvad, former Attorney General of India, and is called the “Bangla Desh Assistance Committee.” It is officially a private organization, but it has the tacit approval of the Indian Government.

Like many local relief efforts now underway the committee has not yet made a distinction between relief efforts for war victims in East Pakistan and East Pakistanis actively fighting for their independence against troops from West Pakistan. The feeling here is that they are the same.

The committee has appealed for medicine, food, clothing and money to be sent to their headquarters: Himalaya House, Third Floor, Curzon Road, New Delhi 1.

Refugee Centers Opened

Substantial amounts of aid and relief supplies have already been collected throughout India, and some have been privately taken across the loosely guarded border into East Pakistan, The Indian Government has reopened several refugee centers already standing along the border.

Checkpoints have been set up at the border to screen refugees to make sure they are not Pakistani agents.

More than 10,000 refugees are reported to have crossed into India so far.

Newspapers throughout India have carried daily reports quoting “freedom fighters” and listing their needs. High among them are guns and ammunition, but no one in India has thus far admitted supplying any.

Other aid efforts, however, are numerous. State governors and chief ministers have organized aid drives, but not officially sponsored them.