Delhi Plans PG Regulation Bill With Licences, Police Clearance And Public Registry

The Delhi government is working on a legislation aimed at bringing privately operated paying guest (PG) accommodations and hostels under a formal regulatory framework.

Under the draft Bill, every building operating as a PG would have to obtain a licence from the municipal zonal authority within 90 days. Establishments would also need clearance from local police and a No-Objection Certificate covering structural and fire safety from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the regional administration.

Each registered PG would be assigned a unique registration number and its details would be made available on a public portal.

Proposal Comes After Satya Niketan Hostel Collapse

The proposed regulations come days after a five-storey private hostel collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday, killing seven people, including five students.

Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu held a meeting with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and senior officials on Monday to review building safety, student accommodation and the regulation of PG establishments.

Delhi attracts thousands of students every year for higher education and coaching. The draft Bill notes that privately run PGs have become an important source of accommodation, but says the sector currently lacks a unified regulatory system.

Government Flags Safety And Tenant Concerns

According to the draft, the absence of an integrated framework has contributed to concerns including arbitrary rent practices, poor living conditions, inadequate safety measures and limited mechanisms for students to raise complaints.

“With the growing influx of students, privately operated PG accommodations have become a primary housing option… The absence of a formal integrated regulatory framework has led to…arbitrary rent practices, substandard living conditions, inadequate safety provisions, and…lack of an effective grievance redressal mechanism for students,” the draft Bill says.

An estimated 2 lakh rooms are being rented out as private hostel or PG accommodation in areas including Mukherjee Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Munirka and locations around Delhi University’s North and South campuses.

The draft also highlights a major record-keeping gap, noting that police, the Fire Department and the MCD do not have comprehensive records of many such buildings, their owners or occupants.

‘GovPG’ Portal Proposed For Registration And Complaints

The proposed legislation includes a dedicated online platform called “GovPG”, which would function as a central database for registered PG accommodations as well as a complaints platform.

PG operators would be required to upload establishment details and provide monthly updates covering occupancy, rent changes and audit dates.

Students would be able to verify registration and capacity certificates, submit grievances, file complaints anonymously and monitor the status of their complaints. Once a complaint is submitted, the portal would notify the relevant zonal authority and institutional accommodation committee.

Colleges And Coaching Centres May Get Accommodation Committees

The draft Bill also proposes that colleges, universities and registered coaching institutes establish Institutional Accommodation Committees.

Each committee would include two faculty members, two elected student representatives with at least one woman, an NSS or NCC representative, a ward-level municipal official and a police liaison officer.

The committees would be tasked with providing an institutional mechanism to address accommodation-related concerns faced by students.

CCTV And Security Measures Proposed

Mandatory safety measures have also been outlined. Registered PGs would have to install functional CCTV cameras at all entrances and common areas, with recordings preserved for at least 30 days.

PGs accommodating 15 or more students would additionally have to deploy a licensed security guard during night hours.

The draft also proposes that every PG appoint a warden who either lives at the premises or maintains an office within 500 metres. The warden would have to remain reachable through a dedicated phone number and be physically available within 15 minutes of an emergency call.

Bill Expected To Be Finalised In Two Months

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, who chairs the committee preparing the legislation, said work on the Bill is still underway.

According to Sood, its provisions are expected to be finalised over the next two months. The proposed framework is intended to bring PG operators, civic authorities, police and educational institutions under a more coordinated system while improving safety and grievance redressal for students.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susmita Modak

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Always love to raise the unraised matter. In a world of worries, I am always ready to come over my comfort zone and taking the step ahead of spreading awareness.

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