Norms go up in smoke as illegal PGs mushroom in Chandigarh

Girl students were packed like sardines in rooms partitioned with flammable wall panels in the three-storeyed unregistered paying guest facility in Sector 32 that witnessed a fire tragedy on Saturday, claiming three lives. In fact, it was a tragedy waiting to happen, confirms initial probe.

Girl students were packed like sardines in rooms partitioned with flammable wall panels in the three-storeyed unregistered paying guest facility in Sector 32 that witnessed a fire tragedy on Saturday, claiming three lives.

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In fact, it was a tragedy waiting to happen, confirms initial probe.

“Preliminary investigation has revealed that the building owner was not staying there, even as the policy for paying guest facilities mandates that the owner should be residing on the ground floor,” said UT assistant estate officer Manish Lohan.

Lohan said even other safety norms were not being followed.

“The UT policy makes it mandatory for the owner to provide liveable condition in PGs. However, as per preliminary inquiry, as many as 34 people were stuffed in the house, compromising with living standards. Moreover, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) panel partitions, which are flammable, were being used,” said Lohan, adding that more details will come out after thorough investigation.

Poor implementation

With Chandigarh becoming a hub of coaching institutes, PG facilities too came up in early 2000s. It was in 2006 that the UT administration framed rules to regulate their functioning. The PG business is thriving in areas such as Sectors 15, 22, 23, 32, 34, 35 and 43, but not more than 125 PGs are officially registered with the UT estate department, the nodal agency, to date.

Lohan claimed to have sent notices to nearly 100 illegal PG facilities in the past four months, while many of them were also sealed.

However, there has never been a serious drive or administrative focus to regulate their working and bring to task those flouting the safety regulations.

There are just six inspectors to keep a check on PG accommodations, and there is also lack of coordination between the estate department and police to identify the illegal facilities, a fact to which officials in the deputy commissioner (DC) office agree.

Lohan said people often hesitate in registering their premises as PG facilities, as otherwise they would have to ensure that all norms are followed and only a limited number of paying guests are accommodated.

“It has become a general tendency to stuff the PGs for commercial gains,” he said.

Condemning the fire incident, Hitesh Puri, who is the chairman of Chandigarh Residents Association Welfare Federation (Crawfed), said: “Safety comes first, and all norms must be followed strictly.”

‘Declare them commercial’

Chief fire officer Anil Garg said fire norms can’t be implemented in PG facilities, unless they are declared commercial.

He said under the current UT norms, fire no-objection certificates (NOCs) are not mandatory in residential areas.

“We will only be able to inspect these buildings if PG facilities are officially declared commercial entities,” he said.

DC Mandip Brar said the fire incident was “unfortunate and avoidable”. He said an inquiry has been marked to the subdivisional magistrate (south).

“We will not let this happen again and make sure that the present regulations are strictly implemented,” he said. “We will also start an awareness exercise, making the general public aware of present rules. We will also ask people to report illegal PG facilities in their areas and also help police to nail the owners.”

Brar said parents should be aware that they must seek the PG registration certificate from the owner before leaving their child there.

WHAT THE RULES SAY

Building owner must stay on the ground floor and ensure liveable condition, discipline, hygiene and cleanliness

PG accommodations should be allowed only in residential areas

The area of the house should not be less than 7.5 marla (amended in 2019)

The minimum usable area for one PG should be 50 square metres, with adequate provision of toilet

A permanent record of those staying as PGs must be maintained with intimation to police authorities

Owner must display the list of PGs at the entrance

List of employees to take care of PGs should also be verified by police

No extra or new kitchen can be erected beyond the approved building plan

The vehicle of a PG should be parked within the house premises