Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has extended by a week the deadline for implementing the revised guidelines related to paying guest (PG) accommodations. The new deadline is Sept 21.
This extension has provided relief to PG owners, who were expecting both a revision of guidelines and more time to comply with them.
BBMP had initially set a Sept 15 deadline, warning that failure to comply would draw action under Sections 307 and 308 of the 2020 BBMP Act. The guidelines include a requirement of 70 sqft per person and a 90-day retention period for CCTV footage — measures strongly opposed by the PG Owners’ Welfare Development Association.The association had requested reducing the space requirement to 35 sqft and the CCTV footage retention to one month. A delegation of PG owners submitted these concerns to BBMP special commissioner Vikas Kishore Suralkar, who forwarded them to the chief commissioner for consideration.
Dr Syed Sirajuddin Madani, chief health officer, BBMP, confirmed the extension and ongoing discussions. “The PG owners’ association has raised valid concerns regarding the 70 sqft per person rule and the 90-day CCTV footage retention. These concerns have been forwarded to the chief commissioner, and there is a possibility that some guidelines may be relaxed,” he said.
PG owners pointed out that some BBMP-run hostels allocate significantly less space per individual — sometimes as little as 20*14ft. This has fuelled calls for more lenient regulations in the final draft.
BBMP has also agreed to issue and renew licences for PGs operating in residential areas — a significant point of contention. “We remain hopeful the guidelines will be revised, and the extended deadline will give us ample time to comply,” said Arun Kumar, president of the PG owners’ association.
A meeting is scheduled soon, where the BBMP chief will make a final decision on the revised guidelines and the future of PG facilities in the city.
