Odisha Landlord Waives Off Rent For 12 Tenants, Gives Them 25 Kg Rice Each

Last month the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, requested all landlords in the state “to be compassionate to poor & waive off or at least defer the rent by 3 months,” reports The Indian Express.

And Murli Mohan Acharya, a house owner based in Berhampur’s Somnath Nagar did just that. According to Hindustan Times, he waived off rent for the month of May and also distributed 25 kg rice to each of his 12 tenants who are either engaged in small businesses or earn their living as street food vendors.

He was quoted saying,

“All my 12 tenants are facing a lot of economic hardship because their businesses are shut since end-March when nationwide lockdown restrictions were imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19 outbreak. Of the 12, three have left for their native villages along with families. I acceded to my tenants’ request and waived off their rent for May. I also gave each family 25 kg of rice to tide over the crisis, as the state government’s help has been few and far between.”

Berhampur sub-collector Shinde Dattatreya Bhausaheb lauded his kindness by saying, “We can change our society in a big way, even if 1% of landlords are willing to help out their tenants like what Acharya did.”

In the view of corona pandemic,Great humanity shown by Murli Mohan Acharya a house owner in Ganjam Dist who waived off one month’s rent for his 12 tenants and supported the tenants by providing 25 kg rice to each of them.His efforts set an example for others.@CMO_Odisha pic.twitter.com/RTUpZwmRoT

— BJD With Odisha (@bjdwithodisha) May 15, 2020

At a time when there have been several reports of landlords selfishly increasing rent or asking their tenants to vacate the premises due to non-payment, this news certainly restores our faith in humanity. We hope more house owners can show empathy in these difficult times.

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