Union Home Secretary B P Singh, who spearheaded the recent talks with the Bihar administration and okayed the funds, has no way of knowing if these too would not be surrendered next year. ``We can only hope for the best,'' he held.

But Singh has many worries. The situation in Bihar, he told The Indian Express, was extremely tense and could take an ugly turn any moment. ``This is because of two factors: an absolute lack of inter-community dialogue and a growing sense of revenge among thepeople of its 17 violence-ridden districts...In many of these places, people cannot sleeping at night. They are guarding their abodes and villages with guns and lathis. Naturally, they are unable to do anything worthwhile during the day. All this is taking its toll. Insecurity and fear have gripped these people in a big way.''.

Singh knows what he is talking about. Intelligence reports reaching New Delhi have warned of a major retaliation by the Ranabir Sena whose 35 people were killed in Senari village last month. The attack, the reports suggests, could come any day and the toll could even reach the three figure mark.

Rushing Central forces to Bihar -- already 40 para-military companies are stationed in the State and 10 more are on their way -- may have snuffed out Chief Minister Rabri Devi's protestations of alleged neglect by New Delhi but Singh says that this alone will not buy peace in the State. ``The major requirement,'' he stressed, ``is the restoration of rule of law, quick disposal of landdisputes and generation of employment.''

But on the question of ``deployment'' of forces in the State, the Centre does not see eye to eye with the Bihar administration. For instance, Singh points out that not more than 50 per cent of Bihar Military Police (BMP) is deployed in the State. ``The least the Bihar administration can do is to deploy more of its own BMP personnel before asking for more Central forces,'' he says.

The Centre's concern, points out Singh, is to ensure security in Bihar. ``But we cannot control that environment from here. The State will have to chip in its resources and initiate a dialogue with all sections of its people,'' he says.

While not a single political party has sent its representatives to the trouble-spots of Bihar after the Senari massacre, two aged Bhoodan leaders have expressed their willingness to be the first to go there. They are Sadiq Ali and Sushma Nayar. North Block, however, is not yet sold on the idea because the two are in their 80s and may be unable towithstand the rigours of the journey.