HYDERABAD, Feb 6: Municipal tenants, who had been running different stalls in Rani Bagh for more than a decade and were recently ejected from the place in the wake of its renovation, have threatened to observe hunger strike along with their families if they are not allowed to reopen their stalls.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Friday, Mohammad Aslam, Naseem, Imran, Kaley Khan and others said that 16 people had established their stalls in Rani Bagh about 10 to 15 years back and were paying regular rent to the municipal authorities.

They said that without any notice their stalls were removed on August 25, 2008. They said that on their protest, the district government and Qasimabad taluka nazim had assured them that they would be allowed to estanlish their stalls once the renovation of the Rani Bagh was completed.

They said that seven months had passed since the completion of renovation but they had not been allowed to establish their stalls. However, a man, Hameed Bengali, was allowed to set up a stall on September 27, 2008, they complained.

They pointed out that as per rules and regulations of the Qasimabad taluka, they had been depositing the rent in the NBP municipal branch for which they were in possession of receipts.

They said, they had no other source of livelihood and appealed to the authorities to allow them to re-establish their stalls at their original places in Rani Bagh, failing which they would stage hunger strike with their families in front of the local press club.