Hauz Rani fire puts Delhi’s B&B Scheme under scanner

Abhinav RajputNew Delhi: The Hauz Rani building that was gutted in a massive blaze on Wednesday morning was registered under Delhi govt’s bed and breakfast scheme but had way more guests that it was permitted to keep. The fire has raised questions about how many similar outlets flout safety and other regulations.More than 2,500 rooms across 700 properties are registered under Delhi’s B&B scheme.Preliminary findings suggest that the Hauz Rani property had approval from the tourism department to have only six rooms for guests. The rules say that the owner an let out no more than two-thirds of the bedrooms consisting of a minimum of one double-bed room and a maximum of six double-bedrooms. However, Flourish Stay Bed & Breakfast flourished way beyond that and let out 24 rooms. It’s facilities were advertised on online booking platforms.The blaze has brought to the fore the near lack of enforcement. A senior official said the properties are inspected only at the time of registration. Regular monitoring is rare due to manpower shortages. “We do not have enough resources to inspect such violations regularly,” a senior govt official acknowledged, adding that action is usually taken only after complaints are received. A source in govt, however, asked: “What is the value of an initial inspection if there is no meaningful follow-up.”The B&B scheme, introduced under the Incredible India Bed and Breakfast Act, 2007, was designed to promote affordable accommodation in residential neighbourhoods while ensuring basic safety and quality standards. The rules limit establishments to a maximum of six double-bed rooms that require adequate ventilation, lighting, water supply, power arrangements and parking facilities. The owner must also reside on the premises, and the property is not meant to function as a commercial hotel.Yet, the Hauz Rani establishment had evolved into something quite different.Delhi govt had earlier said that the B&B registration process provides visitors with a sense of security. Last year, govt even reduced the registration timeline from 90 days to 30 days to encourage participation in the scheme.“If a single establishment could allegedly expand from six approved rooms to 24 without attracting regulatory attention, then one must see how many others may be operating in violation of safety norms,” an official said.