New Delhi [India], September 8 (ANI): The Delhi government is working on a comprehensive policy to regulate paying guest (PG) accommodations in the national capital, with Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood outlining a series of proposed measures aimed at strengthening safety, security and rent regulation for students.
Under the proposed policy, PG operators would be required to obtain a PG Operating Licence and complete both police and municipal verification before running their establishments.
The proposed rules would also make CCTV cameras mandatory at entrances and in common areas of PG accommodations, with recordings required to be preserved for 30 days.
For PGs housing 15 or more students, operators would be required to employ a licensed night guard between 10 pm and 6 am. Visitor registers would also be made mandatory, while non-resident visitors would be permitted entry between 8 am and 9 pm.
The policy would further require every PG to have a warden either residing at the premises or maintaining an office within a 500-metre radius. The warden would have to be physically available within 15 minutes in case of an emergency.
To address concerns over arbitrary and high rents, the proposed policy envisages a Rent Regulation Committee that would determine rent bands for different areas.
The rent bands would take into account factors including occupancy levels, amenities provided, prevailing market rates and the proximity of the PG to colleges and public transport.
The draft framework also proposes the creation of an Institutional Accommodation Committee, comprising college officials, student representatives, a municipal representative and a police liaison officer.
The committee is proposed as a mechanism to improve coordination between educational institutions, students and government agencies on accommodation-related issues.
The proposed policy comes in the wake of the recent collapse of a building being used as a PG accommodation in Satya Niketan, which claimed the lives of seven people and triggered renewed scrutiny of student housing and the safety of buildings being used as PGs. The Delhi government has also announced structural audits of buildings in major PG hubs.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has said the government is working on a framework under which buildings used for public activities, including PG accommodations, would be required to undergo periodic structural audits and safety certifications.
The government is also examining the possibility of using vacant government properties for student accommodation, while discussions are underway on improving hostel capacity in Delhi’s universities and colleges.
The proposed PG framework is aimed at bringing establishments catering to large numbers of students under a more structured regulatory system, with greater accountability for operators and stronger safeguards for residents. (ANI)
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