Unfazed by CM KCR's appeal, landlords keep tenants on edge in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Even though the State government has asked landlords to refrain from collecting rentals during lockdown, tenants continue to face pressure from them. Poor families across the city, who are deprived of their income, are also indiscriminately pressed to pay rentals, adding to their anguish.

"Our source of income has been hit to such an extent these days that we are unable to arrange groceries in our houses. How could we be able to pay the rent," asked Faraz Begum, an old age woman residing at Kings Colony, Rajendranagar. She points out that her two sons, who do odd jobs to run the family, are presently confined to house due to imposition of lockdown. She deplores, "Our landlord, regardless of what we are going through these days, is constantly demanding payment of rent."

Though there are some landlords who have shown sympathy by waiving or putting off payment during the lockdown, such cases are very few in the city.

Be it poor or middle class, people are experiencing mental agony and are in despair, with landlords showing no mercy on their conditions. Their hardships are mounting with every passing day. Under such circumstances, they get the warning from the landlords: "Pay the rent or vacate the house," rued Mohd Shoeb, a resident of Hussaini Alam.

A landlord, unmoved by the CM's appeal, says: "Government should announce some relief to landlords in order to make them avoid collecting rents from tenants. At least they should provide some relief in payment of property tax in lieu of their gesture," he observed. When contacted, Rajendranagar ACP Ashok Chakraverthi said, "We will take appropriate action against the wayward landlords if they pressure tenants for payment of rents during the period of lockdown." However, he said no such complaints have been received by the police so far in Rajendranagar.