Can’t trace building plans of 70% of 2,453 PGs, MCD tells HC

After identifying over 2,400 buildings housing paying guest (PG) accommodation across the Capital, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) told a division bench of the Delhi High Court on Friday, that it is unable to trace the building plans for over 70% of them.

The bench was hearing a batch of public interest litigations raising various concerns about regulating PG accommodations for university students in the city, in the aftermath of the building collapse at Satya Niketan that killed seven people, including five students.

A survey of PG buildings by the MCD was undertaken following court orders, and it led to the identification of 2,453 PG buildings across the city with 32,247 rooms and approximately 50,529 occupants. However, according to the MCD, it has traced building plans or verified the sanctioned plans from the “records presently available” for only 730 of these buildings.

When the bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia inquired about what had been done regarding the remaining two-thirds of the identified PG buildings, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, along with advocate Tushar Sannu, representing the MCD, said, “We are tracing them, they are not traceable….Some of the buildings are 50-60 years old, tracing is a difficult task…Ownerships have also changed several hands.”

As per MCD, of these 2,453 buildings, only four have been deemed “dangerous.” In the past 17 days, the civic body has demolished 543 properties and sealed another 178 for unauthorised construction.

The MCD’s survey also found, after covering 3.99 lakh properties in residential areas, that “more than 21,099 cases of commercial activities in residential areas have been noticed,” and that “about 30-40 properties have been sealed where such violations are found.”

The court will hear the matter next on October 14.

According to an affidavit filed by the MCD before the Delhi HC, a detailed inspection of around 300 properties in Satya Niketan was carried out, and of these, 101 were found to be running as PG accommodation. The findings include:

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• Three of these buildings have been declared “dangerous” and vacated after the MCD initiated proceedings under the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act. The owners moved the Delhi HC, challenging these notices under the DMC Act. While staying the notices in separate proceedings, the HC has directed that “no PG shall be allowed to run in these properties until the buildings are found structurally safe.”
• Ten other buildings have been found to be “vulnerable,” and their owners/occupiers have been directed to carry out the required strengthening, renovation, and major repairs as recommended in the structural audit report.
• Fourteen other properties were found to require “minor repairs.”

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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