Haryana to rehabilitate Mirchpur Dalits: Minister

Chandigarh, April 5 (IANS) Nearly eight years after they were forced to leave their homes in Mirchpur village in Haryana's Hisar district after an attack by the Jats, 254 families will be rehabilitated by the state's BJP government, a Minister said on Thursday.

The affected families will be rehabilitated on over eight acres of land at Dhandoor village in Hisar district from June 1, Minister of State for Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Krishan Kumar Bedi told the media.

The Minister said that besides giving land to the affected villagers, the state will provide financial assistance to them for construction of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

He earlier held a meeting here with a delegation from Mirchpur village.

The Dalits, belonging to the Valmiki community, had fled the village after a 70-year-old man and his 18-year-old physically challenged daughter were burnt when their house in Mirchpur was set ablaze by members of the Jat community on April 21, 2010.

At least 18 houses were destroyed in the attack. The incident, which made national headlines, happened during the Congress rule in Haryana.

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