UT set to cancel permits of erring B&B units

“The Tourism department shall soon be withdrawing permissions from all those B&B operators,who have been caught violating the norms. The Estate Office has already been asked to take stern action against the violators,” the official said.

A committee constituted by the Administration in the first week of August had strongly recommended to cancel the permits of these units and take a “fresh look” at the entire scheme.

A confidential report submitted to the UT Home Secretary Ram Niwas (Newsline has a copy) mentions that “the B&B scheme applicable to 24 residents may be cancelled due to glaring violations…to give a fair opportunity to the (other) residents,who are adhering to the norms…(and to) new residents who may like to adhere to the guidelines with proper monitoring and checking by Tourism department officials in future”.

In its findings,the committee had noted that “the Estate Office and other authorities like police may verify the records,which have been taken in original from almost all residents registered under the scheme and are available with the committee,for taking appropriate action in the matter in view of the glaring deficiencies and lapses in the B&B scheme being misused for commercial purposes.”

To ensure smooth and proper functioning of the scheme,the committee recommended that “there needs to be regular checks by a team of officers of various departments,who may check the B&B facilities in future so that the guidelines and norms are adhered to as per the scheme”.

The committee strongly recommended that “for new residents to be invited under the scheme,improved and modified guidelines are required to avoid misuse (of the scheme).”

Major violators,who are still carrying on with the business in a clandestine manner,include House No. 9 and 116 in Sector 21-A; House No. 2172 in Sector 35-C; House No. 1560 in Sector 18-D; House No. 528 in Sector 18-B; House No. 3052 in Sector 20-D and House No. 1130 in Sector 21-B.

B&B ads on hotel website
B&B operators,who have been found violating the norms,are still using the B&B logos and advertising on their private hotel website. On the website of Hotel Royal Inn,Sector 22,the B&B accommodation in Sector 21-A is still being advertised — owners of the hotel and the B&B unit belong to the same family. But another website,bhatiaserviceapartments.com,of a B&B operator has been taken off the web.

How do they operate?
Some B&B operators,who are running hotels and guesthouses in the city,allegedly fleece tourists by offering them ‘cheap’ accommodation at their residence under the garb of the B&B scheme. Also,some B&B operators are those who were earlier running illegal guesthouses,approved as B&B units,in residential areas in the city.