Survey to count all illegal guest houses in residential areas

To overcome the shortage of staff, the department will hire a private agency, which will conduct the survey. It will be supervised by the teams of officers formed for this purpose, said DTCP officials.

The department of town and country planning (DTCP) has decided to conduct a survey of all illegal guest houses and commercial units operating in the private colonies across the city.

Officials estimate that there are at least 3,000 to 3,500 houses that have been either converted into guest houses or are being used for commercial purposes. (HT archive)

To overcome the shortage of staff, the department will hire a private agency, which will conduct the survey. It will be supervised by the teams of officers formed for this purpose, said DTCP officials.

Earlier, the department had decided to conduct the survey in areas along the Golf Course Road, but in the wake of the rising number of complaints by residents from across the city, it was been decided by the headquarters in Chandigarh that it should be conducted in all private colonies across the city.

Sudhir Chauhan, senior town planner, Gurugram, said that directions have been received from the director of town and country planning that the survey should be conducted to prevent illegal commercial operations in residential areas.

“There is zero tolerance for commercial activities being run in residential areas and guest houses being operated in licenced colonies,” said Chauhan

Department officials said that during a meeting on August 3 in Chandigarh, KM Pandurang, director, town and country planning department, issued directions that a private agency should be hired within a week for conducting the survey.

“Details will be collected from the survey and a report will be prepared on the basis of it. A comprehensive sealing drive will be carried out and notices will be issued within 15 days of the survey,” said Chauhan.

The department has received complaints that large number of individual houses have been converted into guest houses and commercial units in DLF Phase 1 to 5, Sushant Lok phases 1,2,3, South City 1 and 2, Suncity, Malibu Towne, Uppal South End, Palam Vihar, Nirvana Country and Greenwood City and others.

Officials estimate that there are at least 3,000 to 3,500 houses that have been either converted into guest houses or are being used for commercial purposes.

“A large number of complaints have been lodged by residents of private colonies that civic amenities have been badly hit ever since houses were turned into commercial units,” said RS Bhath, district town planner, Gurugram.