Fear of eviction looms over thousands of tenants

Jaswinder Singh Baidwan

Akhran da mureed
Staff member
The fear of eviction looms large over thousands of tenants of the Waqf Board across the state under amended Waqf Act, which allows the board to invite fresh bids for renting out its properties despite the old tenants paying the rent regularly as per the lease rules.
Facing an uncertain future due to the amendment, distressed tenants have announced to launch an agitation campaign for mounting pressure on the state government to find out amicable solution of their problem.
A meeting of the state executive of the Haryana Waqf Tenants’ Association held in Narnaul described the amended act as a “black” one and decided to garner the support of all tenants across the state for efficiently running the campaign.
“The waqf tenants from Hisar, Faridabad, Rewari, Sonepat, Ambala, Rohtak, Panchkula, Panipat and Mahendragarh attended the meeting and resolved to resist the amended Act across the state to protect their future,” said Kailash Soni, president of the association, asserting under the first phase of the campaign, a day-long dharna would be organised in Narnaul on Saturday.
He said the waqf board had served notices on thousands of tenants in the state to get the rented premises vacated after the end of the lease period.
As per the amended Act, the Waqf board can invite fresh bids to rent out the premises. Earlier, the lease period was extended for three years with a hike of 15 per cent in the rent, but this time the premises would be allotted to the higher bidder, he said.
“The amended Act is enough to leave thousands of waqf tenants devastated, as most of them will have to quit their business establishments and residential accommodations when they will not be able to place higher bid to get the land again,” said Soni.
He said the Waqf board provided its land on which the tenants use to build their shops or residential houses obtaining permission. Several tenants had spent lakhs on the construction and they would face a huge loss if the premises were rented out to other persons, he said.
IA Khan, senior law officer, Waqf Board, said the amended waqf law had come into force, hence the property would now be rented out accordingly.
 
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