BENGALURU — Owners of paying guest (PG) facilities in Bengaluru are set to receive some relief as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) plans to revise its recently proposed guidelines and extend the compliance deadline.
A delegation of PG owners recently met with Special Commissioner for Health, Suralkor Vikas Kishore, to discuss concerns regarding the guidelines. They requested adjustments to the minimum living space requirements and the duration for storing CCTV footage. They argued that a 35 square feet room per inmate, similar to state government-run hostels, would be more feasible than the proposed 70 square feet. They also asked for the CCTV footage retention period to align with police department guidelines of one month, rather than the proposed 90 days.
Kishore acknowledged the validity of their concerns and committed to forwarding them to the chief commissioner. The BBMP’s original deadline for compliance was September 15, with buildings facing potential sealing if guidelines were not met. However, given the likely revision of the guidelines, the compliance deadline will be extended.
Arun Kumar, president of the PG Owners’ Welfare Association, highlighted that the existing standards in facilities like Victoria Hospital and government-run hostels have been used to argue for more practical guidelines. He expressed concern that the proposed changes would lead to increased rent, adversely affecting students from rural areas.
BBMP officials have also agreed to renew and issue new licenses for PG facilities in residential areas, addressing another key request from the association.
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