‘Hostels, homes shouldn’t function without licence from March 1’

A public interest litigation petition filed by Kathiresan of Madurai came up for hearing before a division bench of Justices KK Sasidharan and PDAudikesavalu.

The petitioner claimed that the Act was introduced to regulate licensing and registration process of hostels and also to ensure safety and security of inmates. Nowadays, it has become common for women, who were progressing into higher education and destined to stay away from their houses as paying guests in hostels. Several hostels and mansions have cropped up in cities including Madurai, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Chennai and Coimbatore. However, officials were bribed and rules flouted before getting licences from authorities concerned for running such hostels and mansions.

The officials duly had to inspect hostels, which applied for licences and check whether such hostels received approvals from various departments including the District Social Welfare office.

According to a Government Order issued through District Social Welfare Office in 2015, the PWD should certify whether building was stable and safety certificate from Fire and Rescue Services Department before applying licence for a hostel with district collector.

Only after the collector’s approval, such hostel facility should be allowed to function. In the recent past, a ladies’ hostel owner was caught for using stealthy cameras in the hostel and it sent shockwaves across the state. Hence, the Act should be implemented properly and necessary action should be initiated against those taking bribe to issue certificates necessary for running hostels and also bribing the officials, the petitioner prayed.

On behalf of the Director of Fire and Rescue Services Department, TK Mahendran, counter affidavit was filed before the bench. The affidavit stated that no objection certificates were given to 273 ladies hostels out of 468 hostels, which applied, after making inspections over the last four months in Chennai. Besides, 62 applications for such hostels, which failed to comply with norms, were rejected. The rest of the applications were pending for inspections.

On hearing the petitions, the bench ordered the Fire and Rescue Services Department to provide no objection certificates to hostels, which have applied for licence, after making thorough inspections and district administrations should finalise its decision on providing licences within February 28 and disposed the case.