A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking implementation of the order of the Ministry of Home Affairs directing landlords not to order vacation of premises by students and labourers on non payment of rent amid COVID 19 lockdown.
The petition has been filed by Advocate Pawan Prakash Pathak and Abhijeet Kumar Pandey, a Final Year Law student of Campus Law Centre, Delhi University have submitted that despite the MHA order dated 29.03.2020 not to demand rent from students and labourers for a period of one month & further not to force tenant to vacate premises during this period, many instances have been reported where landlords are forcing tenant students to pay full rent failing which they are being evicted from the premises and petitioner himself is a witness to this situation.
The petitioners have further pointed out that many students these days are living in cities for studies and have been staying in rented accommodations. Many of these students are dependent on their parent’s monthly income for paying their rent, however due to the lockdown and suspension of work these students and labour class are unable to pay their rents and are being evited by the landlords.
The petitioners have submitted that “that many landlords are continuously pressuring the students to pay their rent and students are living in constant fear and depressions, they are feeling helpless in this situation as they can’t demand money from their parents because their parents are also suffering from financial crisis due to the lockdown, in such situation one is only left with one option i.e opportunity cost of money, either one can pay rent out of same amount or one can buy essential ration/food for family during this period.”
They further urged that quick response be taken on eviction reporting by tenants amid COVID 19 and enforcement of fundamental Right to life under Article 21 which guarantees right to live with human dignity free from exploitation and oppression.
–India Legal Bureau