The Manipur High Court division bench comprising Chief Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice Kh Nobin on Tuesday directed the state government authorities to implement the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order against demanding rent payment during COVID-19 lockdown. The division bench has asked the state government to respond to the order by June 16.

The court’s order followed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), seeking a direction to concerned authorities to implement the MHA order on not paying house rent for the months of March and April 2020 during the lockdown by students and labours who were staying in rented houses.

The petitioner of the PIL, RS Khawungsing, convenor of Hill Tribal Tenants in Imphal stated that despite the strict MHA order and direction, the state government never took any initiative to ease the hardship faced by tenants. The high court order also mentioned that the matter should consider migrant workers, who are living in rented accommodation.