NHRC notice to Delhi govt, AAI over rehab of displaced Dalits

The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to Delhi government and the AAI over reports of 59 Dalit families not being rehabilitated even after nine years of their "forced eviction" from a village here for expansion of the city airport.

The NHRC has issued notices to Delhi Chief Secretary and the chairman of the Airports Authority of India, and sought reports within six weeks on the steps taken or proposed to be taken for relief and rehabilitation of these families.

The Commission in a statement today said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the media report that these Dalits families "remain without rehabilitation even after nine years following forced eviction from their houses at Nangal Dewat village in Delhi due to the expansion of the Indira Gandhi International Airport's Terminal-3".
 

Reportedly, there were 122 Dalit families residing in the area, out of which 63 got alternate accommodation but 59 families were still awaiting rehabilitation.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the report are "painful and indicative of grave violation of human rights of the aggrieved families."

The NHRC has also observed that it is the duty of the state to provide basic amenities to its citizens, including shelter.

"The authorities, who reportedly forced these families of Dalits, are liable to provide them with alternate accommodation, in lieu of their land and houses which have been taken over by the state," the NHRC said.

According to the report, carried on January 14, the families, evicted from their village due to the expansion of the airport, have knocked the doors of almost every concerned authority in the Centre and Delhi government, but "to no avail".

"They have been facing discrimination due to their caste. One such family, who relocated into another locality, was not allowed to cremate their dead as he was a Dalit from a different village. Expenditure on rented accommodation has put them on lot of financial burden in addition to other expenses related to the school fee of children," it alleged.