BBMP cracks down on unregistered PG accommodations
BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has so far registered only around 2,000 Paying Guest (PG) accommodations, and health department officials of the Palike are reaching out to all PG centres in the city and putting up notices to follow the recently issued guidelines, and register with BBMP if not done already.
Special Commissioner Suralkar Vikas Kishore said the inmates and owners are being told that the most important factor in the guidelines is that only a permitted number of inmates is allowed, and extra people have to move out to new facilities.
BBMP officials say after the September 15 deadline to adhere to the guidelines, action like sealing illegal PGs will begin.
The Palike had come up with guidelines for PGs after a woman was murdered in one such accommodation in Koramangala in July. The incident had sent shockwaves across the city, especially among women guests, who were worried about their safety.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath directed the BBMP health department to release the guidelines, which include security measures like CCTV, staff to monitor the PG accommodation 24x7, hygienic food, only a certain number of inmates and space between beds. While BBMP officials say there are around 2,000 PGs, sources say the number could touch 10,000, most of them in areas like Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli, where employees of IT and allied sectors are concentrated.
“Most of the illegal PGs in Mahadevapura do not have sanction plan. Each PG accommodation has over 75 people,” said a source.