Govt should introduce balanced law on rent

Apex traders' body CAIT today urged government to introduce a "balanced and comprehensive law" related to rent and also provide a viable alternative prior to eviction if a trader-tenant is uprooted.
The government is in the process of framing a new law that will link rentals to inflation rates. It would also allow landlords to evict tenants for their genuine requirement.
For this, the Cabinet would consider a proposal to repeal the Delhi Rent Act of 1995 (DRA) and withdraw the Delhi Rent (amendment) Bill of 1997, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said.
The new Act should be people-friendly and should not be titled towards landlords. The principle of natural justice and economic justice guaranteed under the Indian Constitution should be adhered to, it said.

"The efforts of tenants to develop the area and enhancing the value should also be considered. If any trader is uprooted, the government must provide them viable alternatives prior to their eviction," CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said here.
Demanding absolute clarity on 'bonafide need' of the landlord for eviction of a tenant, CAIT Delhi State President Narender Madan said under the garb of bonafide need, eviction notices have been issued to large number of tenants.

"Under the new law, trader-tenant bonafide needs should to be taken into account since not only the tenant's family livelihood is dependent on it but also many more related people are dependent on it for their earnings. Thus, economic justice guaranteed in the Preamble of the Constitution needs to be protected," Khandelwal said.

Besides the CAIT has demanded that prior to framing the law, serious consultations must be held with the concerned stakeholders. For this purpose, an Expert Committee should be constituted by the government comprising senior government officials and stakeholders to make it a balanced act as it has a vital bearing on the livelihood of lakhs of people in Delhi.
The Confederation also said the issue of implementation of Delhi Rent Act is hanging fire since last 18 years as the tenants had been demanding a fair play and justice to make it more balanced.
However, it said, it is regretted that the issue has been coloured as a disputed issue between landlords and tenants whereas this is actually not the case. Therefore, the issue needs to be debated and legislated in a broader perspective.