DUSHANBE, April 27, 2011, Asia-Plus — Ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MP Davlatali Davlatzoda visited the Pervomay settlement in the Qushteppa Jamoat (community) of Roudaki district on April 26.
A meeting with people whose houses were demolished focused on seeking ways out of the situation that emerged in the area. Chairman of Roudaki district Saidmurod Taghoyev also attended the meeting.
Mr. Davlatzoda told Asia-Plus today that they have come to an agreement that residential buildings in the settlement in which people live will not be bulldozed. “Besides, the issue of allotment of new plots for housing to those whose houses were demolished is currently under way,” PDPT MP noted.
“I explained significance of irrigated lands for Tajikistan to the Qushteppa residents,” said Davlatzoda, “With such uneconomical use of irrigated lands, Tajikistan will have no future, you know.”
According to him, he also called on residents of the settlement to be very careful while getting land plots and housing permits and not to come under influence of frauds and corrupt officials.
We will recall that residents of the Pervomay settlement have staged a protest against the imminent demolition of their homes, which the government says were built illegally.
Prosecutor-General Sherkhon Salimzoda said on April 12 that all houses in the settlement were built illegally because Tajik law prohibits building residential property on agricultural or irrigated land. He said people living in Qushteppa were warned last year not to build further houses and to relinquish plots of land they had occupied illegally. As a result, he added, they cannot claim compensation for the homes or the property. According to him, almost all the Pervomay settlement residents acquired plots of land illegally because none were Roudaki residents.
On February 21, some 30 women from this settlement staged a protest outside the presidential palace in Dushanbe against the unannounced demolition of their homes. They said some 50 newly built houses were destroyed, and officials warned they will also demolish older homes in the area, while the majority of them have all necessary documents, including land certificates. However, local authorities in Roudaki district are continuing to demolish houses in the Pervomay settlement. According to some sources, at least 83 houses have been bulldozed to date.
