66 PGs inspected, 10 sealed over unhygienic kitchens in South Bengaluru

The officials of Bengaluru South City Corporation conducted inspections of PGs in Jayanagar, Bengaluru South, BTM Layout, and Bommanahalli Assembly constituency. (Express Photo)

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) ordered a crackdown on unlicensed accommodations, and has been conducting raids since November last year. Initially, the raids were being conducted as PGs in the city were operating without licenses.

However, in December last year, a 23-year-old IT employee died in his PG in Kundalahalli after a LPG cylinder exploded. The six-storied building had 43 rooms. After the accident, all corporations under GBA have been conducting inspections in accordance with the chief commissioner’s instructions.

On 9 January, the Central City Corporation inspected 321 PGs and sealed a couple of them over gross hygiene violations. In Shantinagar, when officials visited Garden PG for inspection, the owners denied entry to the premises for approximately 20 minutes. Subsequently, the local police were called, and the inspection was conducted.

As the PG was operating without a license and was running an unauthorised kitchen on the terrace, a notice was issued warning that the PG would be sealed from next month.

However, some of them have called these inspections just an eye wash and a tool to generate revenue rather than a genuine effort to address issues like safety and hygiene.