DTCP to conduct fresh survey of guesthouses in Gurugram

GURUGRAM: The department of town and country planning (DTCP) will carry out inspections of
guesthouses in the city to find out if they are running with valid documents and are following the
government’s guidelines. Action will be taken against the facilities found operating illegally.
Deputy commissioner Yash Garg held a task force meeting on Tuesday and discussed issues
related to mushrooming of illegal guesthouses in the city. “An inspection of the guesthouses will
be done within a month. The government has already framed a policy regarding operations of
guesthouses. Those following the policy will face legal action,” he said.
Sources said although there were around 2,500 guesthouses in the city, only 100 to 120 of them
were approved by the competent authority. Most of the guesthouses are in licenced colonies
such as DLF 1-3, Suncity, Palam Vihar, Sushant Lok, South City and sectors 45, 46 and 47.

According to the government’s latest policy, guesthouses are allowed on residential plots of 500
sq. yards to 1,500 sq yards. Even two plots of 500 sq yards or more clubbed together for
constructing a facility will be approved. But there are many guesthouses in the city that are on
plots measuring less than 200 sq yards.
District town planner RS Batth said the department was preparing an action plan to examine the
guesthouses situated along the internal roads of licenced colonies. “Most of these guesthouses
can be found in DLF areas, Sushant Lok 1 and South City 1 and 2. We have details of most of
them. But after the recent amendment in policy, the department is updating its data on illegal
guesthouses,” he added.
At the meeting, Garg told the officials to also conduct a joint drive by the DTCP, municipal
corporation and DHBVN against illegal construction and encroachment in Saraswati Kunj before
January 15. He also said that the departments must jointly work towards preventing illegal
colonies from coming up on agricultural land in violation of the Haryana Development and
Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975. The departments concerned were also asked to ensure
that multiple units are not developed on a single floor.
Last year, DTCP had identified around 1,000 illegal guesthouses running in licenced residential
colonies.