MC seals four more shops as tenants fail to pay rent

Jalandhar, April 3

The Tehbazari Department of the Municipal Corporation (MC) sealed four more shops near Ghumar Masjid at Central Town here on Monday. The action against shopkeepers was taken after they failed to clear their pending dues despite repeated notices issued by the Tehbazari Department.

Talking to the Tribune, Mandeep Singh, Superintendent, Tehbazari Department, said shopkeepers were served notices many times in the past to clear their pending dues by March 31, but no one took these seriously.

He said the monthly rent of these shops was between Rs6,000 to Rs 8,000. As their owners had not cleared pending dues for the past many years, the outstanding rent had gone up to lakhs, he added.

“We started this drive against tenants whose rent has been pending for a long time. Whenever an official of the department visits them to collect rent, they make excuses of low sales or ask any political person in their contact for ‘sifarish’,” he said.

A total amount of Rs1.5 crore was to be recovered as rent from these shops, he added. “Such action will be taken in the future too to recover pending dues. Twenty five shops have been sealed in the last three days. Three shopkeepers paid Rs13.5 lakh after which their shops have been unsealed. Remaining shops are still sealed and will be opened only after their owners clear pending dues,” he said.

Mandeep Singh further said they had already served notice to 20 more shop owners. Their notice period would end in a day or two, he added. He appealed to tenants to deposit dues without any delay or else their shops would also be sealed.