Landlords told to not harass medical staff, labourers, and people under quarantine; Gurugram administration says perpetrators will be booked

The district administration on Friday said police cases would be filed against landlords or house owners who ask medical staff, labourers, and people under quarantine

The district administration on Friday said police cases would be filed against landlords or house owners who ask medical staff, labourers, and people under quarantine to vacate their flats over “fears” of the spread of Covid-19. The move comes after several reports from across the country of owners turning tenants away, or asking them to vacate, for similar reasons.

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The administration, on Thursday, received a complaint on the Covid-19 emergency number from a pharmacist at a government dispensary in Sector 31 who said he had been asked to vacate a paying guest house (PG) he had been occupying.

The pharmacist then filed a complaint with the district administration on Thursday night against his landowner.

Poonam Dahiya, who addressed the call on the district administration’s helpline number on Thursday night, said the pharmacist complained that he was not allowed to enter the building where he lived with a few other men.

“He said that the owner of the PG was sceptical about his work, and thought he would come in contact with people who had Covid-19, which would lead to the spread of disease in the building. He did not allow him to enter. We contacted the landlord, who said he was worried about the safety of other men living in the building. He was told about the precautionary measures to be taken, like ensuring that people wash their hands at the entrance, as well as thermal screening, to allay any fears,” Dahiya said.

According to her, the landlord has now let the pharmacist stay.

The district administration in a press statement said strict action would be taken if any medical staff or people providing essential services are harassed, discriminated against, violated or affected in any manner. The administration also said such acts would lead to the registration of FIRs against respective landlords and house owners.

Earlier, airline professionals had complained of discrimination and harassment from their resident welfare associations (RWA) after they evacuated Indians stranded in different countries.

Air India, the national carrier, said it is alarming to note that in many localities, “vigilante” RWAs and neighbours had started ostracising crew members and were obstructing them from performing their duty. On some occasions, the RWAs even called in the police.

Several doctors and nurses at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi have also said they were driven out of their rented flats.