Guwahati, the largest city in Northeast India, gets thousands of students and young professionals every year. They migrate to the city to pursue various endeavours like employment and education. And, this migration has resulted in mushrooming of private hostel and Paying Guest (PG) accommodation business in Guwahati.
Responding to the growing demand, locals are finding the business of private hostels and PG accommodation to be a lucrative venture. Families from different corners of the state are sending their children to institutions in Guwahati for better education, and subsequently opting for private hostels to provide accommodation for their wards.
While the mushrooming of private hostels accommodates the growing population of students and professionals, a large number of these establishments operate without proper regulatory compliance.
Despite the mushrooming of private hostels and PG accommodations across Guwahati, the lack of regulatory compliance raises critical questions about the safety and public health of the young boys and girls of these private accommodations.
The central concern is whether these hostels, often perceived as businesses, adhere to any established regulations or guidelines. Moreover, are they registered under the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC)?
When GPlus undertook an investigation, it was found that there are as many as 100 to 120 private hostels in Guwahati which are not registered under the GMC and are still running the business without any hindrance.
Since the sector is totally unregulated, the business of private hostels and PG accommodation continues to operate in a regulatory grey area in Guwahati
A boarder of a private hostel in Silpukhuri, speaking anonymously to GPlus, revealed a troubling practice: “Our hostel owner always takes the rent in cash. If we ask for online payment, the owner refuses. He never issues money receipts for the payments.”
The act of the owner of the private hostel not only raises eyebrows about financial transparency but also suggests a potential avenue for tax evasion, exposing a layer of complexity in the regulatory landscape. As per the law, private hostel services attract a GST of 12 per cent.
Equally disconcerting is the statement by a hosteller at Chenikuthi, who said, “It has not even been a year that I have stayed here, and they have increased the rent by about 40 per cent.” This arbitrary increase in rent, seemingly without justification, puts a financial burden on residents and highlights the lack of accountability within these establishments.
Another private hostel resident in the Six Mile area, choosing to remain anonymous, voiced a distressing predicament: “My hostel owner has increased the rent within just six months. I have been given only two days to vacate if I don’t pay the higher rent.”
“I don’t know where to go now. Even if I shift, they said they won't give my security money back,” the student said.
This reveals the vulnerability of private hostel residents who, without proper policies in place, find themselves at the mercy of arbitrary decisions of the owners, impacting their financial stability and overall well-being.
The absence of a structured policy framework for private hostels contributes to this culture of unchecked rent hikes and questionable financial practices. The private hostel residents, often students and young professionals, face the brunt of these unregulated policies, leading to financial strain and uncertainty about their living conditions.
The lack of transparency in financial transactions and the arbitrary nature of rent increases point to a larger problem – the absence of proper policies governing these accommodations. Without a regulatory framework in place, hostels and paying guest accommodations will continue to exploit loopholes, leaving residents vulnerable to unfair practices.
Additionally, the reluctance of hostel owners to accept online payments and the arbitrary increase in rent highlight the need for financial transparency and accountability within this sector.
Speaking to GPlus, a senior official of GMC outlined the prerequisites for running a private hostel or paying guest accommodation. These include a trade license, a commercial holding number, and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department.
While the official emphasised that registration can now be done online with just the owner's ID proof and land documents, the fact that numerous establishments operate without these essential credentials is disturbing.
Adding to the regulatory ambiguity, a senior official from the Department of Women and Child Development told GPlus, “We do not have specific guidelines for hostels or paying guests. We follow the guidelines under the Mission Shakti scheme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. There is also a scheme for working women hostel.”
The statement of the official of the Department of Women and Child Development casts a shadow on the oversight of the protection of the rights of the residents of the private hostels, especially of the young working women and students.
However, a report from the GMC seemingly contradicts the unregulated scenario in Guwahati. The report claims that there are 590 private hostels and PG accommodations in Guwahati that are registered under the GMC and have valid trade licenses.
Trade licenses were issued by the GMC only because the owners of the private hostels and PG accommodations had applied for them. The GMC has no count of the private accommodations which are operating without trade licenses.
The issue extends beyond a single hostel, as another establishment in the Nayanpur area was also found lacking proper registration with the GMC. This not only raises questions about the accuracy of the registration data but also the effectiveness of the supervision role of GMC.
As per reports, in 2012, the Assam State Commission for Women took taken initiative to regulate and monitor the terms and conditions of private girls' hostels in Guwahati and other towns of Assam. However, there was hardly any progress with the initiative.
However, an official of the Assam State Commission for Women painted a totally different picture. Speaking to GPlus, the official said, “We have not taken any such initiative as of now. We will look into this matter, and explore the possibilities of doing something in the near future.”
As private hostels are being accused of running businesses which are totally not legal, one of the promoters of a girls' hostel in Uzanbazar, claimed, “We do everything legally. We have a trade license issued by the GMC.” However, after a thorough check with the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), it was found that the hostel was not registered with the municipal body, and did not have a trade license as well.
Almost all the boarders in the private hostels and PG accommodations are young boys and girls, it is crucial that all these private accommodations be registered with the GMC to ensure safety, hygiene, and other essential criteria.
The regulatory oversight poses potential risks for residents and highlights the need for a comprehensive review and stricter enforcement of regulations governing private hostels in Guwahati.
On May 7, 2023, the lifeless body of an individual was found in a PG accommodation in the Pandu area of Guwahati. Preliminary reports suggest that the person was found hanging in the PG room located in the College Gate area of Pandu, pointing to a suspected case of suicide. The following day, a student's lifeless body was found in the bathroom of a hostel associated with a leading private school in Guwahati.
These incidents of unnatural deaths shed light on the potential threats to the safety and security of the boarders of the unregulated hostels in Guwahati, raising serious concerns among the community and law enforcement agencies.
Without proper security scrutiny and adherence to safety protocols, these private hostels become a matter of serious concern. Students seeking temporary accommodation in Guwahati often opt for these hostels due to convenience and affordability, but are unaware of the potential hazards that may lurk within.
Amidst growing incidents of tragedy and concerns over safety in unregulated private hostels, the question arises: Who is taking responsibility for ensuring the safety and security of individuals residing in these establishments?
Another alarming issue is related to food safety in the private hostels in Guwahati. Like GMC’s trade license, it is also mandatory for private hostels serving food to have the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Food Safety License Registration.
The FSSAI is the supreme authority responsible for regulating and supervising food safety. Obtaining an FSSAI license is mandatory for anyone involved in the food business, including hostels serving meals.
Shockingly, a senior food safety officer in Guwahati told GPlus that only two or three private hostels in Guwahati have obtained the mandatory FSSAI Food Safety License Registration.
It is surprising how the private hostels are serving food to their boarders without FSSAI registration. This not only raises concerns about the quality and safety of food provided by the private hostels but also underscores a glaring gap in compliance with essential health and safety standards.
Given that the FSSAI license encompasses all stages of food handling – from raw materials to distribution – the lack of compliance by the private hostels and PG accommodations in Guwahati is a cause for serious concern.
It is apparent that it is impossible to do away with the private hostels and PG accommodations in Guwahati. But, it is high time that the authorities should find ways and means to bring them under a strong license regime.