look news india
A big and relief news is coming for lakhs of youth coming in search of education and employment in the country’s capital Delhi. The Delhi government has prepared a blueprint for a historic law to tighten the noose on the uncontrolled paying guest (PG) and private hostel networks that are spreading rapidly in the National Capital Region. For a long time, students living in major education and coaching hubs like Mukherjee Nagar, Karol Bagh, Kalu Sarai, Rajendra Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Satya Niketan, Vijay Nagar and North Campus had been registering complaints of exploitation, arbitrary rents, inhumane behavior and lack of security by PG owners. To find a permanent solution to these serious issues, the Delhi government is going to bring a comprehensive and legal framework, the objective of which is to bring this entire unorganized sector under the ambit of legal accountability. As soon as this new law comes into force, any PG running illegally or without permission in any corner of the capital will be immediately locked.
As soon as the proposed new rules come into force, the deadline for mandatory registration will be fixed for all PG operators under Delhi Municipal Corporation and Urban Development Department. Every PG operator will have to apply online for a statutory license to the concerned zonal authority within ninety days of the law being notified. To obtain this license, it will be necessary to comply with the building bylaws of the Municipal Corporation, submit character and security verification report from the local police station and mandatory no objection certificate from the fire department. After all the necessary procedures and site inspection the government will issue a unique PG registration number to each registered accommodation. It will be mandatory to display this registration number in big letters outside the main building of every PG so that any student staying there or their guardian can ensure that the concerned premises is recognized and safe by the government. Strict legal action like heavy financial penalty and sealing of property will be taken against landlords running PGs without valid license or on the basis of fake documents.
The biggest financial challenge faced by tenants in Delhi has been the arbitrary rent increase every month and the huge amount collected in the name of security deposit. Under the new draft, the government is going to constitute an independent ‘Rent Regulation Committee’ which will decide a fixed rent range i.e. ‘Rent Band’ based on different geographical areas of Delhi, residential colonies and available basic facilities. Collecting fare more than this fixed limit will be considered completely illegal. Apart from this, a historic decision is also being taken regarding security deposit, under which landlords will not be able to ask for a maximum security deposit of more than three months. Whenever the student vacates the room, the Landlord will have to refund the entire deposit without any undue deduction within thirty days. Arbitrary collection in the name of advance rent will also be banned. Along with this, irregular electricity bills at commercial rates, water charges or cash transactions without receipt will be declared illegal and giving digital or official receipt for every payment will be made mandatory.
Giving priority to the personal safety of girl students and students living in the capital, strict security protocols have been included in the proposed law. It will be mandatory to install high quality CCTV cameras at the entrance, exit and all common areas of every PG premises with backup data of at least thirty days to enable police investigation in case of emergency. In PG premises where fifteen or more students live, deployment of professional and trained security guards will be mandatory from 10 pm to 6 am. Apart from this, a responsible warden will have to be appointed for the premises management, whose residence or office will have to be within a radius of five hundred meters from the PG so that in case of any emergency, help can be provided within fifteen minutes. Strict entry register will be implemented for outside visitors and visiting hours will be limited to 8 am to 9 pm.
Eviction rules are being made extremely strict to prevent incidents of suddenly bringing students onto the streets or mentally torturing them. Now no PG owner will be able to evict any tenant without any serious legal reason and thirty days formal written notice. For the convenience of students, Delhi Government is planning to launch an integrated digital ‘GovPG Portal’. The list of all verified PGs in the capital, the rooms available there, facilities like food and Wi-Fi, fixed rent and alumni ratings will be available on this portal. Through this portal, students will be able to lodge online complaint against any irregularity, misbehavior or excess fare collection with complete confidentiality. Three-tier inspection committees will be constituted at the local level around educational institutions and coaching centres, which will conduct surprise inspections every three months and ensure disposal of complaints within fifteen working days.
The government has also added practical provisions to make the rules encouraging rather than merely punitive. Those PG operators who follow 100% safety, cleanliness, rent band and government rules for two consecutive years will be given the official rating of ‘Certified Student-Friendly PG’ by the government. The proposal to provide such certified premises with special exemption in local body property tax, water and electricity connections at concessional rates and loans at easy and low interest rates from banks for hostel upgradation has also been included in this policy. This arrangement will give Delhi a new identity as a safe, transparent and affordable education hub for millions of youth coming from across the country.