Court asks Centre to clear stand on Rent Act

NEW DELHI, August 19: The Delhi High Court today directed the Union government to state its stand on the Delhi Rent Control Act and file an affidavit within the next two weeks stating whether the Act would be notified in its present form.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Mahinder Narain and Justice Mukul Mudgal issued the directions to Central Government standing counsel K L Garg while hearing some petitions filed by house owners seeking the notification of the Act.

The matter will come up for hearing again on November 2. Garg submitted that the matter was before the Parliamentary Standing Committee formed to suggest amendments to the Act and a decision on the notification could be taken only after its recommendations were received.

Counsel for Common Cause, H D Shourie, stated that since amendment to an Act was a time-consuming process, the government should first notify the Act and then issue ordinance incorporating the necessary amendments.