Chandigarh, Sept. 7 -- In 2020, after three girl students were charred to death in a fire that broke out at a paying guest (PG) accommodation in Sector 32, the Chandigarh administration had brought in stringent norms to ensure the occupants' safety. But five years on, compliance remains patchy due to the absence of a single authority to oversee the implementation.

Most PGs don't even fulfil the mandatory registration norm. As per a rough estimate, Chandigarh has over 500 PGs, but only 107 are officially registered with the administration, and only 66 have fire no-objection certificates.

Chandigarh Residents' Welfare Association Federation (CRAWFED) chairman Hitesh Puri says, "Most PGs run in private homes and thus the requirements of fi...