Jaipur: The Rajasthan govt has announced plans to allocate approximately 160 residential plots at a 50% subsidy to Pakistani refugees who have been granted Indian citizenship. The plots will be located in the Chitrakoot, Sanganer and Mansarovar areas of Jaipur.JDA’s additional commissioner Rakesh Sharma confirmed that the allocation will be conducted according to the Allotment and Sale of Plots Rules, 1972. “We have identified plots in Zones 8, 12 and 14 for this purpose, and the allotment process will begin soon,” Sharma stated.This initiative follows a similar move in Jan 2020, when the previous Congress govt allocated 100 residential plots to Pakistani refugees amid nationwide protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which was enacted in Dec 2019. The CAA aims to expedite the citizenship process for non-Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who entered India before 2015.The timing of the current BJP govt’s decision is particularly notable, occurring in the wake of the recent Pahalgam attack and ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.An Urban Development and Housing Department (UDH) official, however, said that during a public rally in Jaisalmer on Independence Day last year, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma pledged not only to provide land but also to assist in housing construction for these refugees.Officials from the UDH are currently reviewing applications to determine eligible candidates. To qualify for a plot, applicants must be registered refugees in Rajasthan, be bonafide residents of the state, and should not own any residential property in India.The govt’s commitment to supporting Pakistani refugees through subsidised housing represents a significant step toward their integration into Indian society and reflects the state’s ongoing efforts to address refugee welfare. The state govt has already granted citizenship to more than 150,000 Pakistani refugees in Jaipur.
