‘Shouldn’t wait for Satya Niketan-like incident’: Gurgaon’s mushrooming PGs back under lens

He said two PGs on his road were sealed in June during a drive against unauthorised commercial establishments. “It has become much more peaceful. But much more needs to be done, and across Gurgaon,” added Puri.

At Suncity township, resident Kusum Sharma said G Block (EWS) has several PGs that have allegedly not applied for commercial connections or land-use conversions.

“Surveys are done to identify these, but enforcement does not go beyond that. As residents, we can only alert authorities. While those with illegal stilts have been given notices, the PGs have not been so far. They shouldn’t wait for a Satya Niketan like incident here,” she said.

Human rights body flags safety risks

The issue is before the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC), which took suo motu cognisance of unregistered PGs and guesthouses operating in the city in January and sought action-taken reports from various authorities.

The three-member HHRC bench, headed by Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra and comprising members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, noted that commercial lodging in residential premises amounted to an unauthorised change of land use.

In its July order uploaded recently, the commission observed that such operations lead to “overcrowding, power and water infrastructure collapse, sanitation issues, traffic congestion and serious safety risks”.

The panel warned that lack of structural safety clearances and absence of emergency exits gravely endanger the right to life of students and working professionals, citing previous fire disasters in student hubs at Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar and Noida.

18 establishments sealed in DLF Phase III

According to an action-taken report dated March 24 submitted to the commission by HSVP, of the 453 PGs, 121 of the establishments identified were under Estate Officer-I and 332 under Estate Officer-II.

An affidavit filed by HSVP Administrator Vaishali Singh and examined by the commission last month said both estate officers had initiated enforcement proceedings by issuing show-cause notices under Section 17(3) of the HSVP Act, 1977, which governs violations of tenancy and misuse of allotted residential plots.

Between June 18 and 20 and July 3 and 4, the enforcement wing of the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) Haryana sealed 15 PGs, comprising 476 rooms, and three guesthouses/hotels, comprising 87 rooms, in DLF Phase III.

The DTCP told the commission that a survey had identified widespread violations across DLF Phases 1 to 5.

But action on the ground was initially held up by a stay granted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in November 2025.

After the High Court modified its order on May 29, 2026, limiting the restraint to petitioners who had filed specific applications, enforcement teams began sealing-cum-demolition drives.

Using property tax data from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), the DTCP also identified 50 unauthorised PGs and guest houses operating on residential plots in other licensed colonies and issued notices, it told the Commission.

In a consolidated status report submitted to the commission by DTCP Haryana, the district administration and the District Town Planner (Enforcement), officials said that only 218 guesthouse permissions had been granted under the state’s 2021 policy within their statutory domain.

That domain is confined to licensed private colonies under the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975.

No police complaints

A report submitted to the commission by the Commissioner of Police, Gurugram, stated that (as of March) “no specific complaint has so far been received regarding any PG or guesthouse being run illegally without complying with the prescribed safety standards”, though police assured swift legal action if complaints surface.

The HHRC in July directed the HSVP Administrator to expedite follow-up reports from both estate officers and asked the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, Haryana Fire and Emergency Services, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the MCG to submit their pending progress reports ahead of the next hearing on October 6.