KARACHI, June 29: Following a protest on Thursday by hundreds of tenants of the Evacuee Property Trust Board against the 1000 per cent increase in rents, EPTB Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Zulfiqar Ali Khan has finally taken notice and called upon the tenants’ representative body for a discussion on July 7 in Karachi to resolve the lingering issue.

The tenants tried to surround the EPTB office at Old Numaish and chanted slogans against the decision which forced officials of the board to evacuate the office. They urged the board to revert its decision. They also asked the board to follow its own rules and regulations which allowed only 30 per cent increase in rent after every three years.Anjuman Kiraya Daran Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Atiq Mir told Dawn on Thursday that the EPTB chairman rang him up in the evening, assuring him of providing justice to the tenants.

He said the EPTB chairman had also promised that the board would not issue new inflated rental bills to the tenants till the reassessment of property rentals was completed. “The EPTB chairman said the rates of rentals, after assessment, would be finalised in consultation with Anjuman Kiraya Daran.”

However, Mr Mir said the tenants would continue holding protest till the board took its decision back. He said in the next round, the Anjuman Kiraya Daran of Punjab division would hold a protest rally in Islamabad on July 7.Some 25,000 people are tenants (35 per cent commercial and 65 per cent residential) on the property of the EPTB all over the country which had been left vacant by the migrating Hindus and minority people after the creation of Pakistan.

More than 90 per cent of the property is in pitiable condition all over the country. A 30 per cent increase in rent was made in January 2005 and the next increase is due in January 2008.

The government had taken over the property and formed a board in 1960 with a view to looking after the interest of the poor people and facilitate them.

Mohammad Javaid, administrator, Southern Zone of the EPTB, told Dawn that it was the federal government directive to increase the rentals as per the market value from July 1, 2006 and not the EPTB’s policy.

However, he said the board was not charging rentals as per the market value. “After assessing the market situation and consumers’ status, it is demanding high rate but it does not match with the current market value.”

He claimed that residential tenants were satisfied with the board’s policy as they had seen a nominal jump of Rs5-15. “It is the commercial tenants, especially belonging to Arambag areas, who are making hue and cry of the issue. “Even a large number of commercial tenants are also satisfied with the decision, as the board is adjusting rental rates as per their demand and status,” Mr Javaid added

When asked why the board has not undertaken any renovation and repair works in the decades-old properties, he said it was not possible for the board to carry out repair works as the board collected very nominal rentals which were far below the market rentals. “The board provides rebate to the tenants in the shape of two months rent in case they desire to renovate their house. How could a person renovate when the rent is only Rs100-300 per month. How would he carry out renovation in just Rs200-600 under the current circumstances?” he asked

He said the tenants had got full option to lodge written complaints within 15 days of receiving notices in case they feel that the rent was fixed on the higher side. “Even the board accommodates the demand of those people who have very low income by either skipping the monthly rent or fixing it as per their monthly income.”

He said the EPTB chairman had issued orders to give first priority to the grievances of the people and then fix the monthly rentals.