Paying Guest (PG) accommodation operators from various parts of Ahmedabad met with the city’s mayor on Friday to express strong objections to a recently issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). The group fears that the new guidelines could severely impact their businesses and disrupt affordable living options for students and working professionals.
The main point of contention is the new requirement for mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from residential societies and the police. PG operators argue that fulfilling these conditions would be nearly impossible in many areas, ultimately forcing them to shut down.
The AMC’s move comes in response to a Gujarat High Court directive to bring better regulation to the sector. However, the SOP’s provisions have sparked concern among PG providers, who say the changes go far beyond the original intent of the court order.
“It affects the lakhs of people who reside in the city at affordable rates,” said Minesh Shah, who led the delegation of PG operators.
“We are welcoming the HC judgment, but it was related to nuisance, but the SOP released by AMC is detrimental to PG operators and beneficial for the builders having large scale unsold inventory,” he added.
To address the situation, the operators have put forward a proposal to form a ‘PG Council’. This body would include a mix of government officials, retired judges, and representatives from the PG sector, working collaboratively to draft fair and practical regulations.
The operators have urged the civic body to reconsider its approach and involve stakeholders before implementing rules that could disrupt an essential source of affordable accommodation in the city.