DUSHANBE, February 22, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Demolition of houses in the May First settlement in the Qushteppa jamoat (community), Roudaki district has been going on today.  Three bulldozers are currently working in the settlement, destroying outhouses and fences around half-finished houses. According to local residents, they were informed that the houses will be destroyed in a month.

Mirzosharif Sharipov, a chief prosecutor of Roudaki district told Asia-Plus that all buildings in that area had been constructed illegally.  “I informed owners of land parcels last April already that construction is illegal,” said the prosecutor, “I have met with them four times and warned to stop construction but they have not listened to my words.”

In the meantime, local residents deny prosecutor’s statement a baseless.  They say some of them received land certificates last summer and nobody has told them that those land parcels are not intended for housing.

Qushteppa resident Malika Ayubova told Asia-Plus that the prosecutor had not met with them.  “We even do not know how he looks,” she said.

Asked whether officials who issued land certificates to local residents will be made answerable, Roudaki chief prosecutor noted that some of them had already been prosecuted, including head of the jamoat.  He added that investigation was going on.

We will recall that some 30 women and children from the May First settlement gathered near the building of President’s Executive Office Monday morning.  They tried to draw the leadership of the government’s attention to demolition of their houses by the Roudaki local authorities.  The women told Asia-Plus that on February 18 local officials cut the electricity and water to their houses without prior warning and police officers in masks cordoned them.  They said some 50 newly built houses were destroyed, and officials warned they will also demolish older homes in the area.