Rohingyas not being discriminated, Centre tells Supreme Court

The Centre has assured the Supreme Court that all possible facilities are being provided to the Rohingyas. They are not being discriminated and all health, sanitation, medical and educational facilities are being provided the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare told the court.

The Ministry said that in pursuance to the court order dated April 9, a team was constituted comprising members of Ministry of Health and a representative from the Ministry of Home Affairs which visited the refugee camps at Mewat in Haryana and Kalindi Kunj in Delhi on April 23 and 24.

The team interviewed women in the camps and inspected the sanitation, water, medical and other facilities which are being provided by the government, the centre said.

"As per the observations given in the inspection reports, reasonably available facilities are provided to the Rohingya illegal immigrants. The answering respondent (Health Min) submits that no discrimination has been made between the Rohingya refugees and other slum dwellers (resident Indians) of nearby areas."

"This is with respect to health, sanitation, medical and educational facilities. ... In any event, despite the constraints, there is no discrimination observed against the Rohingya with respect to the availability of facilities," the Ministry told the top court in an affidavit.

The document was filed in pursuance to the top court's order directing the centre to file a comprehensive status report on the civic amenities at two Rohingya camps in Delhi and Haryana after it was alleged that basic facilities like drinking water and toilets also not available there. The matter was posted for further hearing on May 11.

The bench was hearing petitions, including one filed by two Rohingyas, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, challenging the Centre's decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination and violence against the community.

The Rohingyas, who fled to India after violence in the Western Rakhine State of Myanmar, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.