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By India Today News Desk: Hindu migrants from Pakistan staged a dharna outside the district collectorate office after their houses were allegedly bulldozed on the direction of IAS Tina Dabi in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer.
According to reports, more than 50 makeshift houses were considered encroachments by the Urban Improvement Trust (UIT), and they were bulldozed and cleared with the help of a bulldozer.
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The action has left over 150 women, men, and children now exposed to the open sky. Meanwhile, district administration has claimed that the displaced individuals had illegally built houses along the banks of the Amar Sagar Lake in Jaisalmer which had caused the inflow of water into the lake to stop.
In defence of the decision, IAS Tina Dabi stated that the action was undertaken in response to complaints received from the village head of Amarsagar and the residents living in the locality.
Tina Dabi also said the refugees were given prior notices to vacate the land, but they refused to comply. As of now, a total of 28 encroachments have been cleared.
Kishanraj Bhil, one of the victims of the aforementioned action who came to India after being displaced from Pakistan, said that not only were they expelled from Pakistan, but now their homes have also been demolished in India. “Our entire Kalla Crusher Bhil settlement was completely razed. We came to India after being devastated in Pakistan, and now we have been ruined here as well,” he said.
The victims are also demanding resettlement.
“We made our demand during the public hearing as well. However, it did not happen. On Monday evening, the UIT issued a notice to vacate the settlement, and subsequently, action was taken to remove the encroachments, but nothing has been done for our resettlement,” he said.
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Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act, a contentious law that aimed to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who had migrated to India before December 31, 2014.
Furthermore, Tina Dabi also revealed that the entire region was plagued by encroachments. “Some land mafias and middlemen had deceived and misguided the displaced Pakistanis, settling them here. We have also issued notices to the displaced individuals on multiple occasions,” she said.
According to DM Dabi, these are Pakistani displaced individuals who have not been granted citizenship and are currently residing on long-term visas. Regarding the settlement of these individuals, the state government has not yet provided any guidelines.
(With inputs from Vimal Bhatia)
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