Govt threatens action against landlords coercing healthcare workers to vacate

The government has issued an order under the Epidemic Disease Act empowering the District Magistrates, Municipal Corporations and Deputy Commissioners of Police to take action against landlords who are pressurising healthcare workers who are living as their tenants to vacate their houses, a senior central government official said on Tuesday.

New Delhi [India] Mar 31 : The government has issued an order under the Epidemic Disease Act empowering the District Magistrates, Municipal Corporations and Deputy Commissioners of Police to take action against landlords who are pressurising healthcare workers who are living as their tenants to vacate their houses, a senior central government official said on Tuesday.

"The Delhi government has issued an order under Epidemic Disease Act to DMs, Municipal Corporations and Deputy Commissioners of Police to look into the matters wherein landowners are forcing doctors and nurses to vacate their property," said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

This is in the backdrop of reports wherein some doctors who are treating coronavirus positive patients were asked to vacate their residences by their landlords.

The Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had even written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting appropriate action against such landlords.

( With inputs from ANI )