Licencing, cap on rent, CCTV cameras: Delhi plans to regulate PGs after Satya Niketan building collapse

Delhi building collapse: The Delhi government has proposed new regulations for paying guest accommodations after the collapse of a building in Satya Niketan that housed students. The new regulations mandate rent regulation, CCTV cameras, registration etc.

The 'Paying Guest Accommodation Regulation and Welfare Bill' would bring PG accommodations in major educational hubs in the capital city including Mukherjee Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Rajendra Nagar and North Campus of Delhi University under a formal regulatory system.

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What are the measures proposed?

As per the proposal:

• Every PG will have to be registered and they must obtain an operating licence from the zoning authority in 90 days
• The process will require a no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the police, municipal corporation and local administration
• PGs will be given a unique Paying Guest Registration Number (PGRN)
• All details of PGs will be made available on a single-window digital platform
• Verified PGs would be listed on the portal, along with details on rent, amenities, security arrangements
• Students would be able to file complaints anonymously through the portal
• There will be a compliance rating for PGs
• PGs that rate well for two consecutive years would be eligible for property tax exemptions, ‘Certified Student-Friendly PG’ badge
• A Rent Regulation Committee has been proposed that will determine rent bands as per area
• PG operators cannot charge more than three months’ rent as security deposit or ask for more than three months advance payment
• The proposal called for a 30-day notice period for tenants leaving the PG
• PGs cannot charge different rents on the basis of gender, caste, religion or state of origin
• CCTV would be mandatory for all entrances and common areas of PGs
• CCTV footage must be preserved for 30 days
• Any PG with more than 15 students must have security guards at night
• PGs must maintain a visitor register and the warden must be available within 500-mt radius
• An Institutional Accommodation Committee (IAC) will be formed of faculty members, student representatives, police and municipal officials
• The committee would inspect PG accommodations every quarter

A 27-hour rescue operation was underway after the five-storey Satya Niketan PG came crashing down, killing seven students, and injuring many. As many as 12 people were pulled out from the rubble. Five people have been arrested in connection with the incident – building owner Hari Ram Gupta, his wife Urmila Gupta, their son Mahesh Gupta, labour contractor Sanoj and PG operator Sudhanshu. PG operator Shubham Tyagi is absconding.

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