Urban News

The Pioneer  24.11.2010

Staff Reporter | New Delhi

As the guest house owners in Paharganj area did not pay heed to the notices issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the civic body on Tuesday started taking punitive action against them. A team of MCD officials sealed three guest houses in the area, which had not applied for renewal of licenses despite the warning of the corporation or being run without requisite permission.

A senior MCD official also said the corporation has decided to send showcause notices to other guest house or hotel owners in other 11 zones.

According to the official, there are as many as 958 such guest houses or hotels in 12 zones. “Out of which 825 properties have provisional licenses and only 133 have regular licenses. Till October 2010, only two applications for new license and total eight applications for renewal of permits were received, which are under process,” he said.

MCD Press and Information Director Deep Chand Mathur said the corporation on Tuesday carried out sealing action in three guest houses in Paharganj area with the help of local police. “Prior to sealing, these guest houses got vacated. The sealing closed the entry and exit of the properties. The sealing was ordered by the Deputy Commissioner, Sadar Pahar Ganj Zone on ground of misuse of property under MPD-2021 and violation of directions issued by the Supreme Court,” he said.

He further added the MCD had issued notices to the above mentioned guest houses or hotels, including 18 other, on November 18 to show cause within 48 hours regarding the status of built up structure on their properties presently being used for such commercial activities. “The action against the remaining guest houses or hotels will continue to be taken on case to case basis. These properties were sealed on Tuesday as they failed to produce any document in their support.

“As per MCD records, it was found a few of them (which were issued notices) had not got their building plans sanctioned or any regularisation plan or they were not registered under the Special Area Provisions of MPD-2021. Besides these, some of them, made certain additions/alterations in their structures without due sanction and approval from the local body as required under the DMC Act,” said the MCD official.

Hindustan Times  24.11.2010

In a reprieve to Paharganj guesthouses, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi did not go ahead with its planned sealing action in the area on Wednesday. The civic body has kept in abeyance the sealing of unregistered guesthouses and hotels in the city's tourist hub of Paharganj for a week.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has decided to allow guesthouse owners to submit the necessary documents.

MCD commissioner KS Mehra said the owners have been given time to comply with the requirements of the showcause notice issued to them.

On Tuesday, three guesthouses in Paharganj were sealed by the MCD for allegedly not registering their premises and violating other guidelines.

MCD Standing Committee Chairman Yogender Chandolia said time has been given to the owners after they claimed they have all the necessary documents regarding their regularisation and will need some time to submit the same.

MCD had issued notices to these and 18 others guesthouses on November 18, asking them to show cause within 48 hours, regarding the status of their premises.

In addition to this, there are 150-odd more guesthouses that are functioning without licence.

Officials said these structures had not been sanctioned under any building plan or regularisation plan and were not registered under the Special Area Provisions of the Delhi Master Plan 2021.

The guesthouse owners had earlier claimed that they did not register themselves because they come under the special area designated in the Delhi Master Plan 2021.

The status quo has to be maintained till the Master Plan is approved by the Supreme Court, said office bearers of hotel associations.