KOCHI: A Right to Information query has revealed that the shops functioning on the Maharaja’s College stadium premises owe the college a rent of up to Rs 1.38 crore. Of the 14 shops there, 13 have been rented out. According to a High Court order in 2018, the rent was raised to Rs 32.20 per sq ft. The shop owners then moved the rent control court challenging the High Court order, and the case is pending.
The RTI reply from the institution’s public information officer showed the college authorities have requested the district collector to initiate measures to evict the defaulters, with notices served on shop owners who had approached the rent control court against revising the rent.
“The shop owners are not willing to pay the revised rent. They continue to pay at old rate. Stringent legal measures will be taken against the defaulters,” said Maharaja’s College principal Anil V. At a time when students depend on small donations from the general public to participate in youth festivals and sports events, the recovery of arrears would have been of huge help.
“The college is facing a shortage of funds. The arrears amount would help students meet the expenses for university-level programmes rather than depending on bucket collection from the public,” said Jayachandran, a member of the college development committee.
The RTI reply also mentioned the college has asked the government pleader to request the court to reject the defaulters’ demand, as they had filed the appeal against a verdict given by the Kerala High Court. The rent collected from the shops is used to pay the salaries of staff who work on a contract basis and for development work at the college, the public information officer said.