55 of 65 municipal redevelopment plans of cities and townships in Tajikistan have already been approved. However, many residents of the country do not have idea of the future appearance of their cities. Moreover, many people become victims of unexpected demolition of their houses. Local human rights activists point to the necessity of creating the institution of independent evaluation of housing and ensuring access of those, who were affected by the real estate development companies, to justice.
Fifty-five of sixty-five
In April 2017, the government of Tajikistan endorsed the municipal redevelopment plan of Dushanbe that includes the construction of modern buildings.
In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Jamshed Ahmadzoda, the head of the Committee on Architecture and Construction, noted last month that 55 of 65 municipal redevelopment plans of cities and townships had already been approved.
“The municipal redevelopment plans of the city of Guliston and administrative centers of Panj, Hamadoni, Bobojon-Ghafourov and Kuhistoni Mastchoh districts are still under consideration,” said Ahmadzoda. “The municipal redevelopment plans of Roghun, Buston, Farkhor, Danghara and Shahritous should be elaborated this year.”
Meanwhile, citizens of the country do not have idea of the future appearance of their cities, although the right of access to information is one of the basic constitutional rights of a human being and a citizen.
There are many cases when people get to know about demolition of their houses at the very last moment. In search of justice they haunt government bodies but do not find support.
Human rights activists say the situation with violation of the right of ownership has become acute in Tajikistan.
Thus, the Independent Center for Human Rights has received more than twenty such applications in recent years.
Dushanbe – “hot” zone
Over the past several years, dozens of cases of demolition of residential buildings and forcible eviction of people have been reported practically in all cities and townships of the country. The most “hot” zone is Dushanbe.
In a desperate bid to halt the destruction, hundreds of Dushanbe city residents have signed online petitions addressed to the authorities.
Thus, owners of private houses located on Omar Khayyam, Zainab-Bibi and Sari Osiyo streets in January 2016 applied to the Dushanbe mayor’s office and then to the president. However, they have not yet received reply to their collective letter so far.
Frozen “China Town” project in Khujand
Residents of Khujand, the capital of the Sughd province, are concerned over the delay in the beginning of construction of the “China Town” housing estate.
Private houses of more than 30 families were demolished in 2015 to make way for construction of modern multi-story buildings. The majority of those families are now forced to huddle in rental apartments.
Husnoro-1 Company, which owned by Chinese investor, has been paying rent for those rental apartments.
Recall, an official commencement of construction of a new housing estate was launched in August 2015. The project, designed for five years, provides for construction of 15 multi-story apartment buildings for 1,200 families, four-story school and other social facilities. Three years have passed but actual construction of the apartment buildings has not yet begun.
Deficiency of legislation and campaign to raise legal awareness of activists
Local human rights activists point to the necessity of creating the institution of independent evaluation of housing and ensuring access of those, who were affected by the real estate development companies, to justice.
According to them, time has come to adopt law regulating housing demolition issues.
