About 1,000 guesthouses on colony roads in Gurugram face sealing in two weeks

GURUGRAM: Around 1,000 guesthouses in the city that are either built on internal roads or on plots measuring less than 500 square yards are likely to be sealed this month. These facilities do not comply with the recently amended guesthouse policy.

The department of town and country planning (DTCP) has started preparing a list of guesthouses that are built on internal roads within licenced colonies. Over the next two weeks, these guesthouses would either be sealed or their certificates cancelled.

According to a recent amendment to the policy, guesthouses can only be allowed on plots that measure between 500 and 1,500 square yards. They must be on sector or main roads and not along internal pathways. District town planner RS Batth said the department was preparing for the drive against guesthouses along internal roads of colonies. “Most of these facilities are situated in areas like DLF, Sushant Lok 1 and South City 1 and 2. We already had details of most of them. But the department is updating on the list after the recent amendment to the policy,” he added.

Sources in DTCP said at least 50 guesthouses could be sealed every day over the next two weeks. These facilities have been served several notices in the past, they added.

Meanwhile, owners of guesthouses developed on smaller plots demanded that the policy be amended again so that they, too, can be included. “Small plot owners like us are being deprived of business opportunities like this. We have requested the DTCP to look into our demands,” said the owner of a guesthouse.

Sheetal Agarwal, another guesthouse owner, said the policy had helped only a few facilities in the city. “If our demand of including smaller plots in the policy is factored in by the state government, around 25% guesthouse owners will benefit from it,” Agarwal said. According to him, a majority of the 2,00-odd guesthouses in the city stand to lose according to the current policy.