TMREIS buildings' owners raise a stink over delay in payment of rental arrears

Rajendranagar: Aghast over the delay in releasing the rental arrears pending since a year, owners of TMREIS buildings are kicking themselves in repentance for renting their premises to government for running minority institutions. A recent meeting of the owners of TMREIS buildings in the city decided to raise the pending bills issue again with the government, with a written representation, before moving a step ahead.

The owners riled over the inordinate delay in payment of rent by government without realising their sufferings. The Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS) has over 204 minority residential schools and junior colleges in all 31 districts. Venting frustration over the delay in releasing the arrears, a building owner said, "Almost 10 months have passed after receiving rent in April last year.

All efforts to seek early clearance of pending bills too proved as barking at the wrong tree. On one side we are receiving notices from the municipality for payment of property tax with appending warning of penalties. On the other, the government is taking no pains to release the arrears for years pushing us into deep trouble." "We handed over the building believing that renting out structures to government will cause no issue for us in getting rent on time. Now, with no one to hear our grievances we are knocking different doors to approach the government for an early resolution of the issue.

At the beginning, we felt it was as easy as shooting a fish in the bucket, but now it takes a village for us to get the bills cleared," rued another owner. Finding fault with the way the TMREIS is functioning, Syed Iftekhar Hussaini, a social activist, said "Neither the academic performance of the minority students in TMREIS institutions is encouraging compared to students of SC ST institutions, nor are the owners are getting rents on time since long."

Also, he said, the TMREIS faculty are hired on an outsourcing basis, while well trained teachers are employed in SC, ST Institutions. "The question is where are the minority funds being spent? A proper probe should be ordered into the nitty-gritty prevailing in TMREIS," he demanded.