Cops to issue licences, draw up rules for PGs, hostels in Capital

The Delhi Police is likely to approve and issue licences to 700-odd private hostels and paying guest accommodations for college students with new guidelines for how they can operate, officials aware of the matter said, a step towards formalising a business that has so far operated in a regulatory grey area.

These accommodations are largely unregulated, and many operate such commercial establishments on properties that are registered as residential, and do not have the necessary permissions and safety measures in place, said officers from the Delhi Police and the city’s civic bodies.

Once the shift is finalised by the state government by a consensus between police, home department of Delhi government and civic bodies, the Delhi Police’s licensing unit will set rules that private hostels and PGs must follow for approvals.

“The criteria will include the lodging capacity, clearance for kitchen and lifts by the fire department, as well as clearances for other paid amenities provided to students. Permission will be granted after all the details are verified,” said a senior officer of the Delhi Police who asked not to be named.

These private hostels and PGs don’t need any permission from the government as there is no statutory body so far to regulate and check their operations.

“Only issues concerning revenue, such as house tax and conversion charges of these households fall under the municipalities. But, whenever their legality to operate is questioned, these households claim that there is no written rule for them to procure licenses from Delhi Police like the hotels and guest houses,” said a senior North MCD officer.

When contacted, a Delhi government home department officer said that the officials of education department have been asked to submit a detailed regarding such establishments. “These private hostels are not regulated by the Delhi government. But, we will soon put them under the ambit of Delhi Police,” he said.

“We have launched several crackdowns on such PGs in the recent past, because they operate commercial establishments in households registered as residential entities,” said a south Delhi civic body official.

The move comes after a series of meetings between the police and the state government and in light of recent violations at such accommodations over the past few months, including at Satya Niketan in south Delhi and Mukherjee Nagar in north Delhi.

Officials from the income tax department also said they have received several complaints about alleged financial irregularities in the operation of such establishments.

“We are looking into it. So far, we have found many financial discrepancies in some of these cases, where the balance-sheets do not match with tax return. We have also found that some private lodge owners didn’t mention the actual fees taken from the students as mostly they prefer to collect fees in cash… We’ll soon issue notices to such defaulters,” said a commissioner rank officer, who asked not to be named.

Delhi has between 700 and 800 private hostels or PGs, most of which are clustered around the North and South campus areas, Moti Bagh, Saket, Katwaria Sarai and Mukherjee Nagar, Kingsway Camp, Outram Lines, and Timarpur in north Delhi.

Sandeep Singh, who runs a PG accommodation in Mukherjee Nagar, said that the interference of police may hamper the academic atmosphere in the area, which has a history of hosting Delhi University students – especially the civil services aspirants. “Many students have lived here for 7-8 years and they never had any complaints. Procuring licenses will definitely affect our business,” he said.

Another private hostel manager in south Moti Bagh said that bringing PG accommodations under the police ambit is not a good decision. “It is time-consuming affair as we need to do much file work before lodging a student. And, how can police put a check on us, if the parents give us undertaking to keep their children with us,” he said, asking not to be named.

Students, however, welcomed the move and said some facilities were “money-minting businesses”.

“They always increase the fees illogically. If somebody asks to reason it out, their bouncers start intimidating students,” said Vivek Kumar, who hails from Nalanda in Bihar and lives in a private hostel in Katwaria Sarai.

MANY OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS DO NOT HAVE THE PERMISSIONS AND SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE, SAID OFFICERS FROM THE DELHI POLICE AND THE CITY’S CIVIC BODIES