Jharkhand hostel owners urge RMC to extend licence validity to 5 years

--- Attachment Content: Hostel_Association.docx ---Kelly Kislaya | TNNRanchi: The Jharkhand Hostel Owners’ Association has urged mayor Roshni Khalkho to reform Ranchi Municipal Corporation’s hostel registration system by extending licence renewal validity from one year to five years and speeding up certificate processing.Association member Sanjeev Ranjan said the present system is riddled with bureaucratic delays, with renewals sometimes pending for up to six months.“I applied for my hostel’s registration renewal in February, and now that June is drawing to a close, the process is still incomplete,” he said.Operators said the delay leaves them vulnerable during municipal inspections. If hostel owners cannot produce a physical licence because of pending renewal at the RMC, they face a possible penalty of Rs 25,000.The association said the annual renewal system has become impractical because by the time the renewed certificate is issued, nearly half its validity period is already over, forcing owners to begin the process again soon after. It has proposed five-year licences for established hostels with consistent operational records.The current annual renewal fee is Rs 1,500. Members said they are willing to pay the five-year fee upfront, arguing that this would increase immediate revenue for the RMC while reducing annual paperwork.

The delegation also demanded removal of the mandatory building plan requirement for registration. Ranjan said obtaining old architectural plans for properties that have operated safely as hostels for years is virtually impossible.The association said easing this norm is essential to regularise the sector, claiming Ranchi has only 130 registered hostels while thousands of unauthorised facilities continue to operate outside the regulatory framework.Responding to the delegation, mayor Khalkho said the RMC has already approved a proposal to scrap the mandatory building plan requirement. She also assured members that she would discuss the five-year licence proposal with RMC officials and seek steps to ensure timely issuance of certificates.