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Debt and rents taking a toll on poor and middle class of old city

It is not the coronavirus alone that is taking a toll on the health and well being of the people of the old city, an area of around 82 lakh of population predominantly considered as a backward area of the city.

Actually, the huge burden of debt and monthly rents being paid by the poor and middle-class families is said to be the major reason that is influencing significantly onto their wellbeing and even on their health.

The increased number of casualties in the old city due to fear of contagion these days gives an insight into the deplorable financial condition of the poor and middle-class families who are leaving in constant fear of uncertainty about their survival and future of children.

“Leave alone the medical expenses and repayment of loans, the poor families can’t even afford the rents of their houses these days as the lockdown has robs them from their business and jobs,” said Syed Nizamuddin, Spokesperson Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee.

Every one in two houses, he said, have a tenant and every three out of four houses have members with a huge burden of debt on their shoulders. Repayment of loans from private financiers, house rents, the marriage of daughters, educational expenses of siblings and jobless young children are the major concerns that are presently cornering the elders in the poor families and even mounting physiological pressure.

“Following the lockdown, the situation turned more volatile than ever as pressure continues to mount on poor families for repayment of loans from private financiers and rents to the landlords. As there is no way out of the situation, people are extensively worried about their survival. The unprecedented level of physiological pressure pushing them into the vulnerable zone of life-threatening medical complications,” he explained.

“Though initially, some landlords show sympathy with the tenants from poor to the middle class but how long they will keep quit? In such a difficult time how the poor families can think of marrying their daughters and continuing education of their children,” Ask Syed Shoukat Ali, a civil right activist.

“Educated youngsters, who until now have taken care of their families, have lost jobs due to closure of economic activities in the city resulting in increasing the stress level every moving day,” he bemoaned

“Youngsters in so many poor families of old city have lost their jobs due to lockdown while children pursuing studies have no idea of their future with schools, colleges and universities have close their doors owing to the chaos created out of pandemic” said Moulana Syed Taraq Quadri, President All India Majlis Inquilaab-e-Millat.

“In an area of around 82 lakh of population, where significant number of families solely depends on petty businesses and daily wages, opportunities are rapidly waning. Local banks usually turn their back towards these families especially when the issue of housing loans is concern while private financers exploit them to their hardest, he argued.

“People of old city never thought of a paradigm like the present situation created out of corona virus pandemic. There are no jobs in government agencies neither in the private sector. They can’t even thinking of toiling hard abroad at least to sail their families out from trouble water. Repayments of loan and house rents every month in such a volatile situation devastating them completely and even taking toll on their health and wellbeing,” asserted Mohammed Osman Al-Hajri, Senior Congress leader.