Sunday, May 10, 2020

Students write to CM for rent relief


Students write to CM for rent relief

Mohammad Ibrar & Shradha Chettri TNN

New Delhi:10.05.2020

Ever since the coronavirus-induced lockdown has started, Delhi government has repeatedly asked landlords not to demand rent from students. Kejriwal had even recently asked students to complain to the district magistrates against erring owners. But with many students still being forced to pay the rent, they have written a letter to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

In the letter sent on Saturday, a group of students from different organisations urged the government to add “students” along with “migrant workers” in the rent waiver order. In the order issued on March 22, the government had only said that “under Section 22 of the Disaster Management Act, wherever the workers, including the migrants, are living in rented accommodations, the landlords of these properties shall not demand payment of rent for a period of one month”.

“The order doesn’t specifically mention students and landlords are taking advantage of this loophole,” claimed Anmol Singh, founder of United Students’ Forum.

“The capacity of the government order seems to be binding from March 29 to April 29. Since the lockdown has been extended nationwide, there is an urgent need for clarification. Many students are struggling to pay and are being threatened with eviction,” the students wrote in the letter to the CM.

Amol Kadam, a civil service aspirant from Maharashtra, said his father couldn’t withdraw his pension this month. “But when I cited the government order to my landlord at Rajendra Nagar, he told me that students weren’t mentioned in it.”

“My landlord has also given me an ultimatum despite being told that my father’s business has suffered huge losses due to the lockdown,” rued Upasana, another UPSC aspirant from Uttar Pradesh.

“Students are not complaining to authorities as they are scared of losing their accommodation,” claims Maithry of Kerala Students’ Association.

“Women students are more scared of getting evicted,” claimed Amal K Simon, president of the association.

House owners, meanwhile, have their own concerns. “I am dependent on the monthly income from the rent. Will the government compensate if it’s asking me to give relief ?” asked a PG owner in north Delhi’s Hudson Lane.

BS Vohra, president of East Delhi RWA Joint Front, said while landlords had been requested to waive off the rent on humanitarian grounds, the government needed to help those who relied solely on rent.

Reiterating that errant landlords will be punished, a Delhi government official told TOI there was no provision to compensate them.

PG OWNER SAYS

I am dependent on the monthly income from the rent. Will the government compensate if it’s asking me to give relief?

No comments:

Post a Comment

NEWS TODAY 21.12.2024