Punjab governor-cum-UT administrator V P Singh Badnore on Wednesday issued directions to make no objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department mandatory before registering paying guest (PG) accommodations in the city.
Badnore, who was holding a meeting of senior UT officials, expressed concern over the loss of three lives in the recent fire incident in Sector 32, and directed officials to ensure regular police inspection of PGs.
The administration, meanwhile, has started the process to revise its PG policy. The UT is planning to include important points like annual inspection of building and annual registration unlike one-time registration.
A special desk has already been formed in the estate office for the registration of PGs, a senior UT official said. “Assistant estate officer will look after it,” deputy commissioner Mandip Singh Brar said.
On Wednesday, the UT estate office came out with a fresh proforma for the registration of PGs in Chandigarh, in which occupancy certificate of the building was made mandatory.
The occupancy certificate, issued by the estate office, shows that the building has been made as per permissible building bylaws of the administration. Besides, the building owner, while applying for registration, must submit additional details like floor wise capacity for paying guests, and total accommodation available in the building.
The estate office also released the list of 23 registered PGs in Chandigarh, which includes seven in Sector 35, four in Sector 36, three in Sector 15, two in Sector 21 and one each in sectors 11, 22, 27, 28, 34, 37 and 40.
With the 2013 amendment in the Chandigarh building bylaws allowing even 7.5 marla houses to keep PGs — earlier only 10 marlas and above could offer their place — this business is booming in the city. In the last six months, the UT estate office had issued notices to 145 owners for violations, but failed to seal even a single PG.
By not registering PGs, building owners are also evading commercial water and power charges. They continue to pay domestic water and power charges, which are very less as compared to commercial charges.
The estate office can even impose penalties on the building owners for violating rules and can even seal PGs. According to the rates of misuse, for non-permitted trade in the commercial category, the rate of penalty is Rs 8 per square foot while in the industrial category it is Rs 10 per square foot.
12 more shut business
Twelve more illegal paying guest operators shut their businesses on Wednesday, taking the total to 18
Different teams of SDMs found 47 more illegal PGs.
The UT received 29 complaints against illegal PGs, including 12 from south division, seven from centre and 10 from east division
The UT estate received three applications for registration of PGs at the helpdesk set up by the estate office
HELPLINE
City residents can report about illegal PGs in their locality on helpline number ‘1860-1802067’ of the UT estate office
