MC issues notices to 76 illegal PGs in 5 Mohali villages

The PGs in these villages, which are hubs of such facilities, have been given 7 days time to register

Finally swinging into action, the Mohali municipal corporation has issued notices to 76 paying guests facilities running illegally in five villages Shahimajra, Mataur, Kumbra, Sohana and Mohali village. The owners have been directed to register their facilities within seven days or have their properties sealed.

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Currently, these five villages are hubs of PG accommodations that provide boarding to hundreds of students and office goers. However, these facilities across the tricity have come under the scanner after the Chandigarh tragedy, wherein three girls died after fire broke out in an illegal PG facility in Sector 32 on February 22.

The Mohali civic body scrambled to conduct a survey after additional deputy commissioner Aashika Jain directed all bodies concerned to submit weekly action taken reports (ATR).

Narinder Singh Dalam, MC’s executive engineer and incharge of villages said, “We have issued 76 notices to unregistered PG facilities in five villages and have asked them to register within a week. Otherwise, we will take action and seal their buildings.”

Apart from informing municipal or development authority concerned, residents can register complaints about such illegal accommodations at a 24x7 centralised district helpline number (0172-2219505).

The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has also begun surveying PG facilities, a report of which will be submitted on March 6.

According to GMADA, currently there are more than a 1,000 illegal PG accommodations running in the city, but only 50 are registered. Most of the illegal ones are running in Phases 2, 4, 5, 7, 3B1 and 3B2.

Mohali’s estate officer Mahesh Bansal said, “Our teams are conducting a survey of such accommodations in the city and a report will be submitted on March 6. PG facility owners are now thronging GMADA office to enquire about registration and seven have already registered themselves. We have given them a week’s time to register, failing which their properties can be seized.”

BOX
What PG policy says
- Policystipulates that the minimum usable area for one paying guest accommodation should be 50 square feet, with adequate provision for toilets as per norms of the public health department.

- Area of the house for being let-out should not be less than 7.5 marla, and a part of it should be used by the owner himself.

- The owners, as per the policy, are responsible for maintaining discipline, peace and social harmony in the facility premises and the neighbourhood.