Mayor wants UT to regularise ‘illegal’ guesthouses

The Municipal Corporation (MC) had in 2008 conducted checks at various guesthouses to ascertain the degree of compliance with norms. A report was prepared and submitted to the UT Administration,which has since been lying in cold storage.

The report had found numerous anomalies. The checks found that most of them were virtual death traps with the safety norms being violated. The width of the roads was narrow,with no space for emergency services to reach. Due to non-existent parking lots,vehicles parked on roads were adding to the chaos. The report had suggested that these guesthouses either be shut down or the owners be asked to comply with the norms.

Despite these irregularities,Mayor Ravinder Pal Singh Pali has approached the Administration for regularisation of the guesthouses,after taking conversion fees. An agenda is likely to be brought to the House meeting pertaining to the issue. Pali has met officials and asked for a survey. He has asked for all guesthouses constructed on phirni to be regularised,on the plea that these are guesthouses where fire tenders can reach easily if need be. “The guesthouses where emergency services can reach should be inspected. The owners should be asked to fulfill the other norms,” said Pali. “Conversion fee should be charged from the owners. Some revenue will also be earned through this.”

One of the reasons that seems to have triggered the move is that some councillors of the civic body have allegedly constructed guesthouses that have been operating from the villages for many years. Councillor Vijay Rana,who owns one such guesthouse,said,“The guesthouses in the villages provide affordable accommodation which is not available in the city. A large number of students who come to the city to appear for exams tend to stay here. The guesthouses where there is scope for bringing changes should be regularised.”

Not many in the civic body,however,seem to agree with the move. One councillor stated that the move seems to be for the benefit of a few people. “The guesthouse owners include some influential people. They have been flouting norms with impunity yet no action has been taken. The guesthouses are doing thriving business without paying any taxes. No norms are being followed,” said the councillor. The first Indian Chief Architect of the city,M N Sharma,said that the illegal guesthouses should not be regularised. “There needs to be proper rules for villages which are not there. The guesthouses that are present do not provide the right environment. Such a move would not be right for the city,” he says.