Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has decided to slash rents of its residential property units, however it resolved to bring the commercial properties rents at par with the prevailing market rates. Member Board's Trustees, Dr A. Basit disclosed this in a press conference here on Monday while another member Syed Afzal Haider was also present on the occasion.
Dr Basit said the board's chairman, while exercising his powers under clause 12 of the Scheme for the Management and Disposal of Urban Evacuee Trust Properties, 1977, has decided that residential units/sub-units measuring 2-Marla or less will pay a nominal rent of Rs 10 per month. As such, residents of 7,080 sub-units would be benefited a lot of this decision, he added. However, the rent of residential units/sub-units between 2-5 Marlas will be fixed as per prevalent rates subject to annual increase of 8-percent as per amended scheme 1977, he added.
He further said that monthly rent of residential unit/sub-unit in occupation of any person who has obtained a certificate from the concerned zonal administrator regarding his/her status of being indigent, orphan, widow in distressful circumstances or other ones not capable to meet the liability of paying the rent, will also be liable to pay nominal rent of Rs 10 per month. However, the eligible person must obtain certificate from the zonal administrator within two months of the issuance of this notification to avail the benefit, he maintained.
He clarified that the benefit under the notification, is not available for residential-cum commercial units/sub-units or such residential units/sub-units which are capable of commercial utilisation at present or in near future.
Responding to a query, he said the money collected on account of rents is generally used by the board for charity purposes.