Bhopal, May 28 -- Over 122 privately-run hostels are currently operating across the state capital, with neighbourhoods like MP Nagar, Rachna Nagar, Saket Nagar, and Subhash Nagar emerging as prominent hubs. Despite their growing presence, there is a glaring lack of official monitoring, documentation, and regulation-leaving thousands of students and working professionals potentially vulnerable.
According to Anoop Goyal, Building Permission Officer at the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), "We do not possess any formal data on private hostels. Owners have set them up within residential properties and commercial spaces without seeking prior permissions."
Fire safety regulations mandate that only hostels exceeding 500 square metres in area, ...