Automated Translation:
Half of Mumbai to empty

Paagdi rent in lakhs, law enforcement hit

Sakaal news service

Mumbai, 19th: Lakhs of residents and businessmen of the city who pay only Rs 300 to 400 as Paagdi rent to the owner are in for a huge shock. The government has initiated moves to amend the Act to exclude houses of 847 square feet and commercial plots of 540 square feet from the Rent Control Act. In that case, landlords will charge rent at market rates. Urban planning expert Chandrasekhar Prabhu expressed fear that half of Mumbai will become empty due to this.

The government has prepared a proposal to amend the Rent Control Act. Many hotels and thousands of houses in upscale areas are rented out in South Mumbai. They pay a nominal monthly rent to the original owner. Now, as there are rumors that there is going to be an amendment in the Rent Control Act, their organizations are opposing it. According to the law, the owners cannot increase the rent by more than 4% per annum, but after this amendment, owners will have a freehand for increasing the rent. It will give the owner the right to issue a notice to vacate the house if the rent is unpaid for three months. Landlords have been allowed to raise rents by up to four percent since 1995. The old law protected tenants, but the revised law will end that. In the Paagdi system, the full cost of the house is received by the owner, so he is not dependent on the rent. This nominal rent is given to remind that the paagdi has been given. The Paagdi issue is pending in the Supreme Court. The government has given an affidavit there. It says all landlords are equal for us. If this decision is taken, the owners of the small houses will also go to court, said Prabhu.

1.5-2 lakh residents in south Mumbai and a lakh more in the suburbs will be affected because of this. There will be an increase of 250 to 500 times in the existing rent. So this monthly rent will go up to 2-4 lakhs.

- Dhiren Shah, President, Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association

4,000 hotels in Mumbai will be affected. This will increase the rent of shani hotels drastically. This is a sly game played by the builder lobby and owners.

- Adesh Shetty, President, AHAR (Association of Hotels and Restaurants)

(The pagdi system is a unique tenancy arrangement in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra, where the tenant pays a lump sum to the landlord and then pays a nominal rent. The lump sum payment, known as the pagdi, represents the tenant's tenancy rights and can be passed on to heirs or sold to another person)

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Illegal places of worship will be demolished

Mumbai, 19th: The state government assured the High Court on Tuesday (19) that illegal places of worship built in the state after 2009 will be demolished by May. The Public Interest Litigation of these cases was heard by Justice Abhay Oak and Justice C.V. Bhadang took place in front of the bench. At this time, the government informed that 28 places of worship in Mumbai and 41 places of worship in the state have been demolished.

A few months ago, the court had ordered the demolition of illegal places of worship after 2009 in the state. 862 in Mumbai during this period; The government had told the court that 881 illegal places of worship had been found elsewhere in the state. The deadline till 2009 should be strictly observed in this action. The court warned that serious action will be taken if there is any delay in demolishing the places of worship. The next hearing will be held on February 18. The bench asked to give details of the action taken till then.