Rajasthan Minister Pratap Khachariyawas on Thursday said action will be taken against officials who demolished temporary settlements for Hindus displaced from Pakistan who have been living in Jaisalmer’s Amarsagar gram panchayat area, reported ANI.
Earlier this week, the Rajasthan government faced a backlash after district officials bulldozed 28 encroachments on government land. The demolition that took place on Tuesday has left 150 Pakistani Hindus homeless, reported India Today.
Pakistani Hindu migrants, who are staging a demonstration, have alleged that the demolition was done on the orders of the Rajasthan government.
On Thursday, Khachariyawas told ANI that the action of the district officials was wrong, and alleged that it was a conspiracy to malign the government.
“As per the law of the Rajasthan government, you can’t evict anyone without them being rehabilitated,” the minister said. “This is a very serious matter...They committed a sin, they will have to face it.”
Jaisalmer District Magistrate Tina Dabi had said on Wednesday that the migrants will be moved to shelter houses till land is allotted to those who have got citizenship. Dabi said that the area where they were residing has been allotted to others.
“As per their demand, Urban Improvement Trust will mark them in a week and give them a proper place,” she said. “They were assured of settlement at some other place, after which the protestors announced to end the strike. The land on which the encroachment was removed yesterday was either allotted by UIT earlier or is in the water catchment area. That’s why we have explained to those people that if you sit at this place then you will face problems in future also.”
Dabi added that the encroachments had come up in the last 10 days.
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