We cannot treat tenants like they are criminals

Banners say it all at the protest. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

This newspaper ran an extensive report about occupants from LIC-owned buildings, spanning Matunga, Mahim and Dadar right to South Mumbai holding a protest at Azad Maidan.

Hundreds of these protesters were against what they claimed was high-handedness by the landlords'/owners' team of inspectors. They claimed they were forced to switch to being lessees with little to no rights and exorbitant rent amounts, from the much more affordable pagdi rent.

They were threatened with eviction if they did not accept terms. People who earned Rs 30,000 a month were forced to pay Rs 25,000 in monthly rent. The cessed buildings were badly maintained from no cleanliness, to dilapidated interiors. The repairs, they claimed were at times, simply patchwork jobs. They wanted redevelopment and most importantly, a stop to this harassment. Most of them were living in fear and there was a sense of foreboding, which severely impacted their mental health.

There has to be a solution to this festering problem. Tenants cannot be browbeaten, rents also cannot be crippling or life-sapping. Even after paying these high amounts, buildings are not maintained. They have to be repaired fully, or allow redevelopment, with a viable transit option for these tenants and let them be able to come back to their redeveloped buildings, on full and fair terms. Immediately, we need attention to high-handedness and browbeating, this has to stop immediately. One uniform, practical, payable rent for every tenant. No coercion to go on lease. No jumping rents every five or 10 years, of 35 per cent and more.

The problem needs to be addressed with alacrity. Even the buildings that pose an immediate and serious danger to life, have to be looked at and tenants moved out within the vicinity. Most importantly, the occupants must be given a just option.