Udhagamandalam: Traders under the banner of Ootacamund Town Merchants Association will practice a bandh on Thursday to invite the eye of the district management to the revision of rent payable to the municipality.
The municipality collects rent from over 1,750 stores, including 1,356 positioned in the Ooty Municipal Market, president of the affiliation Mustafa told TOI, "However, it has not collected rent from traders for the last 17 months. It has also not revised the rate. In the meantime, municipal officials are pressing traders for rent fixed by them."
According to Mustafa, the traders who occupy the municipal constructions pay Rs 2.75 crore consistent with annum as rent, which is answerable for a 15% build up annually. "However, according to the government order No. 92 of 2007, from July 2016 onwards, rent will be fixed based on the rate prescribed by PWD depending on the size of the properties leased out to vendors. However, in March 2016, citing its century-old heritage, the Ooty municipal council passed a resolution with regard to the rent to be fixed on shops in the municipal market. According to the resolution, the occupants are liable to pay 50% more. However, it was rejected by the government. As per the order, starting from July 2007, there should be an increase of 15% in rent for every three years. After the tenure of nine years and starting from June 2016, the municipality has to renew the lease agreement with a new rental pattern as prescribed by PWD, for each shop based on plinth area," he stated.
Ooty municipal engineer C Ravi, who's holding the extra price as municipal commissioner, told TOI, "We served notices to the traders in connection with revised rent as per the order. But, there was no response from them. Hence, we were forced to collect rent at their doorsteps. The process is underway."
Meanwhile, a neighborhood activist stated, "The traders are playing fool by staging the bandh. Several councillors enjoy as lessee in the municipal market by paying a pittance."
According to municipal officers, there are about 83 unlawful constructions functioning as stores within the marketplace space.
The municipality collects rent from over 1,750 stores, including 1,356 positioned in the Ooty Municipal Market, president of the affiliation Mustafa told TOI, "However, it has not collected rent from traders for the last 17 months. It has also not revised the rate. In the meantime, municipal officials are pressing traders for rent fixed by them."
According to Mustafa, the traders who occupy the municipal constructions pay Rs 2.75 crore consistent with annum as rent, which is answerable for a 15% build up annually. "However, according to the government order No. 92 of 2007, from July 2016 onwards, rent will be fixed based on the rate prescribed by PWD depending on the size of the properties leased out to vendors. However, in March 2016, citing its century-old heritage, the Ooty municipal council passed a resolution with regard to the rent to be fixed on shops in the municipal market. According to the resolution, the occupants are liable to pay 50% more. However, it was rejected by the government. As per the order, starting from July 2007, there should be an increase of 15% in rent for every three years. After the tenure of nine years and starting from June 2016, the municipality has to renew the lease agreement with a new rental pattern as prescribed by PWD, for each shop based on plinth area," he stated.
Ooty municipal engineer C Ravi, who's holding the extra price as municipal commissioner, told TOI, "We served notices to the traders in connection with revised rent as per the order. But, there was no response from them. Hence, we were forced to collect rent at their doorsteps. The process is underway."
Meanwhile, a neighborhood activist stated, "The traders are playing fool by staging the bandh. Several councillors enjoy as lessee in the municipal market by paying a pittance."
According to municipal officers, there are about 83 unlawful constructions functioning as stores within the marketplace space.
Ooty shopkeepers to observe bandh today
![Ooty shopkeepers to observe bandh today]()
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November 02, 2017
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