Over 200 working women’s hostels in city face closure

A press release issued by the District Collector’s office mentioned that these hostels also face civil and criminal action.

According to Chennai Collectorate, of the 1050 hostels who had filed applications for registrations, only seven have been granted licence so far. While the administration has sought additional documents from 127 hostels for successful registration, a total of five hostels have been closed. At least seven more hostels have been issued closure notices based on complaints and after enquiries, a release from the collectorate stated.

“We are sending show cause notices to all the 227 hostels. Special Enquiry Teams (SET) under Deputy Collector rank officers have also been formed to enquire the cases. Electricity and water supply to these hostels would may be stopped and the hostel owners will be personally answerable to the inmates,” the statement said. With 79 unregistered hostels, Sholinganallur in the southern suburbs has the highest number facing closure followed by Guindy with 23 and Velachery with 20. Mylapore has 18, Maduravoyal has 17, Ayanavaram 3, Alandur 16, Perambur 5, Tondiarpet 6, Mambalam 15, Aminjikarai 9, Purasaiwalkam 13 and Egmore 3.

The issue of illegal women’s hostels operating without following any norms had gone to the courts a few months ago following which the Collectorate sped up the registration process. O Unnikrishnan, a social worker residing in Thiruvanmiyur, who has filed several complaints with various authorities to shut down unauthorised or unregistered hostels or move them to a commercial locality, said the government should conduct thorough inspections before granting the green light.

“First, hostels should be standalone buildings and not in complexes. Licences should be granted only if all the guidelines in the Tamil Nadu Hostels and Homes for Women and Children Act 2014 about security and safety are met with, apart from ensuring the owner pays commercial property, water and electricity taxes and charges,” he said.