Chennai collectorate is issuing show cause notices to 227 hostels here which are being run without applying for mandatory registration.“We will take both civil and criminal action against these hostels,” said Collector A Shanmuga Sundaram.
“We are sending showcause notices and have formed Special Enquiry Teams under Deputy Collector rank officers to enquire. We will take action to cut electricity and water connections. The hostel owners will be personally answerable to the inmates,” he said. This comes as Chennai collectorate received 1,050 applications for registration of hostels after announcement of new guidelines to ensure safety and security of women. Till now, licence had been granted to seven hostels.
“For 127 hostels, we have asked for additional documents. Other cases are under scrutiny. With respect to seven hostels, we received complaints and closure notices were issued to all of them after enquiry, of which five were closed. Remaining two will also be closed. We are now processing rest of the applications as all the staff were earlier engaged in elections,” the Collector added.
In the collectorate website (https://chennai.nic.in), details of the 1,050 hostels have been uploaded. Admission seekers are requested to check the list. Surprise checks will continue. If defaulters come forward for registration, a decision will be taken on a case-by -case basis, on merits and with hefty fine, the collectorate said.
Registration of hostels was made mandatory after police arrested Sampath Raj owner of a women’s hostel in the city for allegedly installing hidden cameras in the facility. The new guidelines also make it mandatory for hostels to instal CCTV cameras, appoint one warden for every 50 girls and round-the-clock security guards.
The guidelines require hostels to furnish no-objection certificates from fire, police, revenue and health departments while submitting applications for collectorate approval.