Chandigarh’s PGs leave much room for improvement
Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairperson of Federation of Sector Welfare Associations Chandigarh (FOSWAC) reveals that many PGs house more than the permissible number of people in a single room
Deepakshi, a Class-12 pass out, came to the city a year ago to prepare for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). After getting enrolled in a coaching centre in Sector 34, she found a paying guest (PG) accommodation nearby.
Though she pays ₹13,000 a month for food and lodging – she is charged extra for AC and laundry – she ends up making a lot of adjustments. “The rooms are cramped, and I share mine with another student. But the coaching centre and state library are within walking distance, so it is convenient for me to return at night after classes,” she says when asked why she continues to stay at the same PG.
Many like Deepakshi come to Chandigarh every year to pursue higher education or prepare for competitive exams. The city, which houses Panjab University, Punjab Engineering College and 12 other colleges under the UT department of higher education, is a major draw among students from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and other states for the quality of education it has to offer. Besides, the city has also turned into a hub for coaching centres preparing students for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), NEET, immigration exams such as IELTS and TOEFL etc.
Shortage of hostels
As per a rough estimate, at least one lakh youngsters are currently enrolled in some form of higher education, coaching or vocational centre in the UT. But there aren’t enough hostels to accommodate them all. For instance, PU has hostel facilities for only 7,600 students, which are allotted on merit basis. There is also a set quota for each department in the varsity.
As a result, many students end up taking PG accommodations in Sector 15, which has now turned into a virtual extension of the campus. Sectors 10, 11, 22, 36 and 19 also house a number of PGs owing to the proximity to colleges.
Norms flouted with impunity
Most of the PGs aren’t registered with the estate office and lack a no-objection certificate from the fire department.
As per the existing policy in UT, a house owner/lessee interested in running a PG facility should register themselves with the estate office. The minimum usable area for one paying guest shall be 50 square feet with adequate provision of a washroom as per norms of public health department. The PG accommodation shall be permitted only in those residential properties, which are sanctioned as per building byelaws, and no unauthorised construction has taken place after the grant of completion certificate.
Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairperson of Federation of Sector Welfare Associations Chandigarh (FOSWAC) reveals that many PGs house more than the permissible number of people in a single room.
“Overcrowding is a major issue. Besides making it inconvenient for the paying guests, it also puts a lot of burden on the city’s existing infrastructure,” he says.
“More PGs will mean more vehicles in the neighbourhood, most of which are already facing parking woes. Higher vehicle density will also lead to congestion on city roads. Besides, it also puts a strain on the sewerage system,” he added, stating that the PGs need better regulation, and the existing policy needs strict implementation.
Bittu further revealed that in some cases it is not the owners of the property but tenants living there who run the PGs.
There are other issues too. Ravi Kant Sharma, the president of the Welfare Society Sector 11 (registered), says that residents around PGs face general nuisance too. “In Sector 15, it is common to see youngsters indulging in drunk driving late at night or driving around in motorcycles without silencers,” Sharma said.
The students too have their fair share of complaints.
Harkanwar Kaur, who stays in a PG accommodation in Sector 40, said she had to pay a one month advance as security charge and signing an agreement is rare.
5 years on, little change on ground
In February 2020, three girl students had died after a fire broke out in a PG accommodation in Sector 32. There were 34 girls staying in that facility as per the police, while 17 were present at the time of the fire. PVC wall partitions put up in the house had caught on fire. A probe by the SDM indicted the house owner and the two men illegally running the facility. While a crackdown was launched by the authorities after this incident, various RWAs allege that the efforts have now simmered down again.
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