119-odd shopkeepers of Fatehpuri area in the Walled City face eviction threat as the deadline to renew their tenancy conditions as per the Delhi Waqf Lease Rules 2014 ended today.
Some members of Waqf Tenants Welfare Association, which is leading the shopkeepers, today met the Waqf Board officials but there was "no outcome".
"We met the Delhi Waqf Board officials but no outcome was achieved," Vice President of the Association, Preet Pal Singh said.
The Association has objected to the revised rents and bringing down of lease of period from 30 years to 3 years in the new lease rules.
"The new rent fixed by the Waqf Board are such that a shopkeeper paying say a monthly rent of Rs 1,000 will now have to pay Rs 9,000. Also, the lease period for shopkeepers has been brought down to 3 years from 30 years, which is unjust as it is 30 years for other categories such as eateries, malls, educational institutions and guest houses," Singh said.
The Board had issued letters to the shopkeepers, who had been tenants on its property in Fatehpuri since independence, to settle their tenancy conditions as per the Waqf Lease Rules 2014, fixing May 19 as the last date.
The letter had warned the tenant shopkeepers that failing it, the Board will have "no alternative but to "terminate" their tenancy and file a suit for recovery of premises leased out to them.
"Now, the issue will be discussed in the meeting of Board scheduled tomorrow and a suitable decision will be taken," a Delhi Waqf Board official said.
The Waqf Amendment Act, 2013 and the Waqf Properties Lease Rules 2014 have come into force from June 2014 and the exercise to revise tenancy conditions is in accordance with the new laws, the official said.
