Representational Image courtesy: Hindustan Times
New Delhi: In a major shift to its approach towards Rohingyas, the Centre on Tuesday said that the refugees from Myanmar will be allotted flats and apartments along with police protection.
At least 1,100 Rohingya refugees staying in tents will be shifted into flats equipped with basic facilities and round-the-clock security.
Minister for Housing and Urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted: “India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge,” Puri explained on Twitter new arrangements for Rohingya refugees in New Delhi. “India respects & follows UN Refugee Convention 1951 & provides refuge to all, regardless of their race, religion or creed.”
According to a report published in The Mint , the decision was taken after a high-level meeting over the accommodation of Rohingya in the national capital was held. The meeting was chaired by the Chief Secretary of Delhi and was attended by senior officials of the Delhi government, Delhi Police and Ministry of Home Affairs.
In the meeting that was held during the last week of July, it was emphasised that the Delhi government was bearing around ₹7 lakh per month rent for the tents where Rohingyas were shifted in the Madanpur Khadar area after a fire incident happen in the camp where they were living, reported the Mint.
These refugees will now be shifted to New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) flats in Bakkarwala village of Outer Delhi, according to a Mint report. “There is a total of 250 flats belonging to the EWS category where all 1,100 Rohingyas, currently residing in the Madanpur Khadar camp, will be accommodated,” said a senior official.
Several incidents of arson were reported in shanties habited by the persecuted community. As many as four incidents of fire were reported in the year 2021. Between 2016 and 2021, 12 mysterious fires broke out in Rohingya camps alone.
The BJP and groups affiliated with the Hindutva groups have been opposing the presence of Rohingyas in the country. The central government in the past had said that it would deport the Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar where they faced persecution.IANS