The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike issued a fresh advisory on Thursday asking owners of paying guest accommodations and hostels in Bengaluru to stop asking residents to move out. Officials with the health department say that they had received numerous complaints from students and techies living in hostels and PGs that they were asked to vacate the building in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Health Department officials told TNM that several college students and techies living in PGs had called the 104 helpline stating that they had been asked to vacate and return to their respective homes. “There were media reports about this as well. Those living in PGs and Hostels were issued guidelines by the BBMP but the complainants said that the owners asked them to leave due to government orders. We have not issued any such orders,” the official said.
The BBMP Special Commissioner Ravi Kumar issued the fresh advisory in the wake of such complaints. “In view of COVID-19, it has been brought to my knowledge that some owners/managers of Paying Guest Houses and Hostels are expelling and forcing the inmates to vacate the premises by misinterpretation of our advisory dated 16th March 2020. Our advisory is for maintaining sanitation, cleanliness and prevention of overcrowding in limited space. We have not mentioned anywhere inmates to vacate the hostels or paying guests,” the advisory reads.
On March 16, the BBMP issued an advisory to the hostels and paying guest accomodation owners. Health department officials say that students were advised to go home and were also given the option of staying back. If they chose to stay back, the owners of these establishments were to make the residents aware of personal hygiene measures related to home quarantine.
All the guidelines and advisories are available in both Kannada and English on the Karnataka State Health and Family Welfare department website.
“We have not asked IT professionals or students to vacate the premises. In fact we are encouraging professionals to work from home and such eviction from PG House Managers and Owners will defeat Work from Home advice,” it adds.