Continuing their agitation against the Delhi Rent Control Act, scores of traders protested at Jantar Mantar on Monday demanding that the government amend the law to make it uniform across the country and stop evictions being faced by the ‘Pagdi traders’.
At least 50-odd market associations participated in the protest to demand that the the Act be amended on the lines of the Gujarat Rent Control Act.
“The Delhi Rent Control Act is one of the most biased Acts as it favours landlords. Rent control acts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh are balanced and address interest of both landlords and tenants. Our point is that when the country is one then why are there so many variations of Rent control Acts,” said Rambhakt Aggarwal of Rajdhani Pagdi Kirayedar Sangathan, the outfit has been fighting for the rights of ‘Pagdi traders’ for the past five years.
Larger protest
The traders also issued an ultimatum to the government to bring in the amendment at the earliest or “a massive Delhi bandh shall follow.”
During the protest, the traders decided to move towards the Prime Minister’s residence to submit a memorandum of their demands.
The traders alleged that the police stopped them from doing so and later detained some of them.
In April 2008, the Delhi High Court ordered the removal of any distinction between commercial and residential properties, thus paving the way for bona-fide cases on shops.
Evictions
Traders now claim that large-scale evictions have happened due to this.
“There are more than five lakh pagdi traders facing eviction. These traders are small-scale businessmen. This judgement has affected over 40 lakh people and has raised a question mark on their survival,” said Vijay Prakash Jain of Bhartiya Udyog Vyaparmandal.
Traders say if the government doesn’t take action “a massive Delhi bandh shall follow”
