Gurugram: 95% guesthouses illegal, most in licensed colonies, says survey

GURUGRAM: More than 95% of around 2,500 guesthouses in Gurugram are illegal, TOI has learnt. These guesthouses are mainly concentrated within the licensed colonies of DLF phases 1, 2 and 3, Suncity, Palam Vihar, Sushant Lok, sectors 45, 46 and 47, and South City-I.

The department of town and country planning (DTCP) has, meanwhile, completed the survey of over 2,200 guesthouses operational within the city limits. This survey was ordered in July this year on the directions of the then director KM Pandurang, who had threatened to seal guesthouses found to be operating in violation of the state government’s new guesthouse policy.

District town planner (enforcement) Amit Madholia said, “As per the directions issued by the directorate, a thorough survey of guesthouses in the city has been carried out with the help of various agencies. There are approximately 2,200 guesthouses operational in various residential colonies of the city and further scrutiny of the data is under process before submission of the same to the headquarters.”

Sources, however, put this figure at 2,500, of which only 100-120 guesthouses in the city are legal, that is, running within the parameters of the new government policy on guesthouses. DTCP officials said that strict action would be taken against all illegal guesthouses operational in the city.
Gurugram: 95% guesthouses illegal, most in licensed colonies, says surveyAccording to the new policy, a guesthouse is allowed on residential plots measuring between 500 and 1,500 square yards. Even two plots of 500 square yards each or more clubbed together are given permission by the department. However, a condition has been imposed that the plot must be on sector roads with a service lane. However, officials said that guesthouses have been developed on smaller plots of 200 square yards, which are not even on sector roads, in violation of the norms.

In the past, the department had appealed to the guesthouse owners to submit relevant documents and apply for permission if their premises fulfilled the provisions as mentioned in the new policy.

And around two years back, in October 2020, the department announced that some 1,000 guesthouses operating illegally in Gurugram would be sealed but it never happened.