Licences, registration, listing on a public portal: Government plans steps to regulate PGs

Thousands of students from around the country come to Delhi every year to study or attend coaching classes. An estimated 2 lakh rooms are rented out as private hostel or PG accommodation in areas such as Mukherjee Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Munirka, and areas around North and South Campus, but police, the Fire Department, or MCD have no records of these buildings, their owners or tenants.

“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.

Work on the Bill is ongoing, and its provisions will be finalised in the next two months, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, who is also the chairman of the committee formed to draw up the PG regulation Bill, told The Indian Express on Tuesday.

The draft has proposed a dedicated online portal (“GovPG”) with details of all registered PGs to serve as a one-stop hub for information and complaints.

“Each PG must post its details and monthly updates (occupancy, rent changes, audit dates)… Students can use the portal to file complaints (anonymously). Core features include PG contact details, verification of PG registration and capacity certificates, submission of grievances, and tracking complaint status,” says the draft.

“If a grievance is lodged, the portal will notify the relevant Zone Authority and institutional accommodations committee,” it says.

Each college, university, and registered coaching institute will be required to set up an “Institutional Accommodation Committee” comprising two faculty members, two elected student-union representatives with at least one female member, a representative of the NSS or NCC, a ward-level municipal official, and a police liaison officer.

“Every registered PG accommodation must install functional CCTV cameras at all entrances and common areas, with footage retained for a minimum of 30 days. …Accommodations housing 15+ students are additionally required to employ a licensed security guard during night hours…,” the draft says.

“Every PG must also designate a Warden who resides or maintains an office within 500 metres…, remains reachable at all times on a dedicated contact number, and is physically available within 15 minutes of any emergency call,” officials said.