Shopkeepers on RTC premises get HC relief
Don’t be hasty in terminating licences, HC tells officials
The Telangana High Court has come to the rescue the hundreds of lessees and license holders being permitted to the run commercial trades in the premises of RTC bus stands and properties belonging to RTC who were about to be terminated for not paying the lease and license amounts for the lockdown and subsequent period.
Justice Annireddy Abhishek Reddy directed the RTC authorities to not be hasty in terminating the traders as the situation of businesses in the lockdown period was dire and even in the subsequent period, business has been dull as the fleets of RTC buses were not 100 per cent operational.
The judge also cautioned traders not to make things suit their convenience and evade the payment of rents claiming there was no business activity.
Justice Reddy was dealing with a batch of petitions of traders and license holders who alleged that the RTC authorities have been threatening to terminate their licenses for not paying the rents to the leased properties. The petitioners said that business was completely closed for nearly two months as the RTC was shutdown and, thereafter, their businesses was not up to the mark as the footfall of passengers has drastically decreased. Even in the unprecedented situation of the pandemic, the RTC authorities were forcing them to pay rents and they were issued termination notices, the petitioners submitted.
The counsel for RTC said that traders were not paying the rents both prior to the lockdown and after it was lifted. They also submitted that the petitioners came to court, without giving any representation to them on their difficulties.
Trying to resolve the issue in an amicable way, justice Reddy passed interim orders, directing RTC authorities not to insist that traders to pay the rent and lease amounts for the months of April, May and June, 2020. However, the lessees are directed to pay 50 per cent of the lease amounts and license fees for the months of July and August, 2020, within a period of three weeks.
Any amounts which were due prior to April 2020, shall also be paid within a period of three weeks. However, the court made clear that in case the traders do not pay the amounts as directed by the court, the interim direction granted shall automatically stands vacated and the officials are free to take necessary steps following the law. The case was adjourned to November 6.