AURANGABAD: A city-based landlord Yusuf Mukati, who owns commercials shops in Gulmandi area has waived off a whopping Rs 7.5 lakh rent from his tenants amid the country-wide lockdown.
A total of 13 tenants belonging to different religion and community said they were relieved from the major financial burden as their income was completely frozen during the lockdown.
Shekhar Chandekar, one of the tenants, said that he would never ever forget the noble gesture shown by his landlord. “I run a garment shop, which was closed for more than two months. While I was worried overpaying the dues towards rent, Mukati, on his own conveyed to all tenants including me that we need not have to pay a single penny towards rent for the lockdown days,” he said, who pays Rs 15,000 as a monthly rental.
Another tenant Avinash Rathod said that the timely help offered by Mukati would really give him much needed relief. “The government has announced multi-crore package but businessmen like us are left out completely. We have to start from scratch again to overcome losses. The relief from paying rent of the shop helped in a big way,” he said adding that he pays a monthly rental of Rs 20,000.
After being closed for almost 75 days during the lockdown, the local markets in the city finally reopened on Friday. The commercial establishments were permitted to operate only on alternative days.
Mukati, who also runs ‘Roti-bank’ also offers free food to needy and poor among other charity ventures in Aurangabad. He said that other landlords should also, follow him in waiving off the lockdown rent. “Life has come to standstill for all of us during the current outbreak of Covid-19. I feel it is a moral duty of everyone to help each one of us around in all possible manner,” said Mukati, who had unsuccessfully contested last Assembly election as Congress-sponsored candidate.