Hawkers below viaduct at Sultan Bazaar Metro Rail say HMRL rents are unaffordable

Hyderabad: Some 210 hawkers given space below the viaduct at Sultan Bazaar Metro Rail are upset over the “high” rent of Rs 4,500 charged by the Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd per month.

A two-month security deposit of Rs 9,000 was also charged from them. The agreement between the Sultan Bazaar hawkers and HMRL was signed in November 2020. Payment was made but most of them now say they cannot afford to pay as much.

S. Kandlekar, member of the joint action committee of Sultan Bazaar Hawkers Association says, "I have not signed the agreement. Others paid the initial amount. A government policy followed for hawkers is to take low rent from them as this is a means of livelihood for them. HMRL is demanding payment based on the agreement. Those who cannot afford to pay are complaining."

Most of the hawkers say Rs 4,500 per month is too high a rate. “During last year, there was very little of business and this year too was not good. People are not coming out of their homes unlike in the past,” said hawker Mohammed Salim.

Many of these hawkers sell clothes and they have been there for more than 30 years. Earlier, 160 of them were to be accommodated; but many more claimed they were hawkers there, and 210 hawkers have thus been accommodated.

The hawkers say they were planning to send a representation to HMRL to reduce the rent.

S. Naval, a hawker, said, "Due to the current situation, we are not able to meet and take matters forward. Those who cannot afford to pay the high rent are deeply upset.”

To add to their worries, the allotment clause states that the rent will be increased by 5 per cent every year. HMRL officials say all the hawkers had filled the allotment forms but many of them were not paying the rent on time.