14 years, 7 applications later, Chandigarh woman awaits PG registration

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 1

Nina Kapur (48) is a dejected woman. Her struggle to get her paying guest (PG) accommodation registered has failed to bear fruit during the past 14 years. She has been running from pillar to post since 2006, requesting officials concerned to register her PG, but to no avail.

Expressing her sorrow, Nina said on February 28 this year, she applied for the seventh time for the registration of her PG with the Estate Office. However, the next day, two floors of her house were sealed by a team of the UT Administration.

Nina said she first applied for registration on October 16, 2006, and then on November 5, 2009. Due to official apathy, she had to apply again on August 3, 2011, June 26, 2014, November 1, 2016, April 21, 2017, and the latest on February 28, 2020, she added.

“I completed all formalities and met necessary requirements on the very first day of my application,” rued Nina.

She owns a 12 marla house in Sector 15 and 70 per cent of the area has been constructed. She has 25 girl students in her house and was paying commercial charges for electricity and water, but for the past some time, she was getting electricity bill on domestic tariff. “I did not give any application for change of power load. I do not know how it happened, may be due to the mistake of power officials,” she added.

During a hearing in the court of the Central SDM on February 25, she was told that fresh inspection of her accommodation would be conducted and the next date of hearing was fixed at March 17. To her utter surprise, a team of the UT Administration visited her on February 29 and sealed the two floors of the house. At the time of the team’s visit, the girl students staying in the house were preparing for their examinations. The students feared where would they go and how would they prepare for their examinations.

She said the PG was her only source of income.

Her husband is suffering from some ailment and is getting treatment from Bengaluru.

During her fight for registration, she even had to pay bribe. Once, she paid Rs 25,000 and then Rs 10,000 each twice, she alleged. She pointed out that there were no clear-cut guidelines to differentiate between a paying guest and rented accommodation.