{
  "id": 11620150,
  "title": "Chandigarh’s PG blind spot: Unregistered, overcrowded, unchecked",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/chandigarhs-pg-blind-spot-unregistered-overcrowded-unchecked",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-03T06:00:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/chandigarh-pg-blind-spot-unregistered-overcrowded-unchecked-10904893/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chandigarh, a popular destination for students and young professionals, often welcomes them with paying guest (PG) accommodations. However, the reality behind these accommodations is far from ideal, as unregistered PGs, overcrowding, sanitation issues, and complaints about food quality and restricted movement persist. This issue was tragically highlighted in February 2020 when three young women, Riya, Pakshi Grover, and Muskan, lost their lives in a fire at an unregistered PG in Sector 32-D. The property had allegedly been converted into a PG, with partitions used to house a large number of women, leading to allegations of unauthorized alterations and inadequate safety measures. In September 2026, a Chandigarh court charged the house owner and PG operator under Section 304-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly causing death by negligence.\n\nDespite the rules in place, the ground reality paints a different picture. A local newspaper, The Indian Express, conducted a ground-level check in residential areas of Sectors 15, 36, and 37 and found numerous PG accommodations that were not listed in the official records. In Sector 37-D, two adjoining three-storey houses were found operating as PG accommodations, with some single rooms being used for PGs that did not meet the minimum usable area requirement of 50 square feet. Occupants also reported that up to six or seven girls shared a single washroom. The operator of these PGs refused to disclose information about the number of PGs they were running, claiming they were simply providing accommodation.\n\nIn Sector 36-B, another PG was found operating in two adjoining three-storey houses, with the owners residing in rented accommodation across the road, not in the same premises. Similarly, in Sector 15, occupants claimed that three people were accommodated in a room meant for only two, while another unregistered PG housed six people in a single washroom. The quality of food served at PGs was also a concern, with women students reporting restrictions on movement, including fixed return deadlines as late as 9 pm, and complaints about deductions from security deposits without clear explanations, as well as delayed refunds after moving out.\n\nChandigarh's PG policy requires owners and lessees to reside in the house where the PG is operated. However, several occupants did not adhere to this rule, living in rented accommodation elsewhere. The administration's online portals, intended to provide a comprehensive, updated public directory of registered PGs, failed to meet this expectation, further indicating lapses on the part of officials. While the Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner, Nishant Kumar Yadav, acknowledged the need for improving and modifying existing PG regulations to make them more effective and practical, the ground reality highlights the pressing issue: how many PGs are operating without registration, how many are being inspected, and what actions have been taken against those found violating the rules.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}