Are Bengaluru’s PG accommodations skimping on safety?

Over the last year, there has been a slew of deaths and murders at Paying Guest (PG) accommodations in the city. While the incidents forced the police and the local authorities to enforce stringent norms on these accommodations, the situation on the ground has not changed much, a reality check by DH revealed. Many inmates at various city PGs also told DH that there was no sense of safety.

DH visited over six ladies’ PGs and five gents’ PGs. While many of them did have CCTV cameras, at least three had no visible cameras at the entrance. Even in PGs that had cameras, they were poorly placed, offered low coverage, and were installed at only one point—clearly indicating they served no real purpose.

The majority of them did not have a security guard, and the gates were open almost 24/7 for anyone to walk in. An inmate at one of the PGs said that the owner did not bother to appoint a full-time caretaker and hence the doors had to be kept open for people working in shifts.

“There are many people working at call centres and working in different shifts. Hence, the main door can’t be closed since people will be leaving and returning from work. Though we have a watchman manning the gate, the caretaker leaves by 7 pm, meaning that the guard has to take complete control of the building,” said an inmate at a PG in Rajajinagar.

The situation is similar at many other PGs. Apart from safety, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has also laid down some standards for operation. To prevent overcrowding, the GBA had directed PG owners to ensure that a minimum of 70 sq ft of personal space is available for each resident. However, none of the PGs DH visited seemed to have followed the norm. Rooms were crammed with three or four beds, turning them into dormitories.

Shockingly, many PGs did not even have a proper name board or signs indicating that it was a PG. Residents said that many of them put up the name board only sometimes.

“They are already in a residential area and, on top of it, they also do not put up a name board many times to evade the police and local authorities checking them,” said Chandra, a resident of Yelahanka.

Many PG inmates that DH spoke to expressed concerns and helplessness.

“If we want better facilities and security, the rent will go up drastically. I earn Rs 30,000 a month and it is impossible for me to spend Rs 10,000 on just a PG. Hence, I stick to the one I am staying at. Though we have to compromise on facilities, I only have to pay Rs 5,000, which is manageable,” said Savitha K, a native of Hubbali.

Industry insiders said that many illegal PGs were operating and insisted on better enforcement by the authorities. Putting up signboards, appointing security guards, and getting a licence would increase the cost of operations, they said.

“We have been urging many PGs to get a licence and follow the set norms, but many of them still do not adhere to it. If they get a licence, their water bill, power bill, and property tax will go up significantly. Hence, many of them operate illegally. This is also a problem for many of us who adhere to all the norms since we cannot compete with their prices. The authorities should enforce the law more stringently,” said Sukhi Seo, secretary of the Bangalore PG Owners’ Association.

Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials said that they are trying to enforce the norms and will soon conduct an enforcement drive.

The Bengaluru East City Corporation also recently published a public notice urging all PG owners to abide by the rules.

“It has come to the notice of the BECC that a large number of PGs are operating without the mandatory trade licence and in violation of established norms. These violations include, but are not limited to: operating in residential zones without permission, failure to provide basic safety and hygienic facilities, non-compliance with fire safety regulations, failure to install CCTV cameras as mandated, and many illegal PGs lack essential safety measures, leading to potential risks for public health,” the notice noted.

Officials said that they had warned the PGs and would soon conduct an enforcement drive.

“We do not want to inconvenience the inmates by suddenly conducting a drive. Hence, we have given a public notice asking the PG owners to abide by it and the inmates to be prepared to leave such PGs,” said Ramesh D S, Commissioner, Bengaluru East City Corporation.

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said that they have a list of all the PGs and the officials keep a check on the safety measures.

“We do enforce the norms and our officers keep a check. If there are any lapses, we will check on them,” he said.