GUWAHATI: At least half of the paying guest (PG) facilities across Guwahati are unauthorised and are operating without the legitimate permissions. The city has hundreds of PGs and private hostels in residential areas which often operate offering below standard services to residents.
Within the last few years, the city has seen a sudden spurt of growth of these residential facilities for students and working professionals in different parts of the city. As at least half of them are running illegally, they are mired in irregularities as there is no regulatory authority to check their flouting of norms.
Authorities from the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) told G Plus that only 50 per cent of the PGs and private hostel facilities in Guwahati have obtained due permission from the GMC. Officials say that in such a scenario, there is lack of accountability, no payment of taxes and security concerns.
{{NL9x_RL9vR-qPHy39jHL}}
In the wake of many unauthorised PGs being operational in the city, residents have also raised concerns about the quality of food and lodging provided by the owners. Safety, security issues also remain a prime concern of the occupants.
Deepak Bezbaruah, associate planner at GMC informed G Plus, “Recently we have seen mushrooming of PGs in the city. The GMC has now stopped giving the trade licenses for running such PGs until and unless appropriate permission has been obtained.”
Most outstation students and many working professionals prefer staying in private PGs and hostels as they offer cheaper rents and also provide some additional facilities - making it a lucrative business for the owners. Maximum number of such hostels exists in student-dominated areas and near educational institutes.
