For the millions Indians and so does to the tourism industry, Commonwealth Games is just like a shot in the arm as it has accelerated the construction and progress of infrastructure like the airports, flyovers, connectivity of metro rail and roads in the NCR. Also it could now at least enhanced and overcoming shortage of hotel rooms.
Apart from it the new scheme - 'Bed and Breakfast' launched by the Government of India, is another great milestone, as many in the industry see it - 'a forward step'.
The basic idea behind the Incredible India Bed and Breakfast Scheme is to provide a home-like, clean and affordable accommodation facilities to the tourists of India and abroad. The scheme gives the foreign tourists an opportunity to experience the customs and traditions and relish the authentic cuisine of India during their stay with an Indian family.
In fact, the initiative is an attempt to address what is expected to be a shortage of affordable rooms in the city. According to industries experts and analysis, the city has a shortage of 15,000 rooms currently, which is expected to reach upto 30,000 rooms during the times of Commonwealth Games.
D K Gupta, assistant director, Tourism department of the Delhi Government, says that with this scheme private residences have been given permission to register single rooms as bed-and-breakfast accommodation. Under the scheme, the number of rooms which can be let out is 2/3 rd of the total bed rooms available with minimum one and maximum five bed rooms. Interestingly, the owner must be a resident of the premises along with his/her family.
There are two categories namely: Silver and Gold depending upon the size and other facilities of the rooms. The size of bedroom under Silver category should be 120 sq.ft. and under Gold category, it should be 200 sq.ft.
Though the tariff under this scheme has been not fixed yet, which will be regulated by the market forces, water, power and property tariffs would be levied on domestic rates and no other tax would be applicable to these premises.
The bed-and-breakfast system is not new in the Delhi region. However, it was not profitable until the coming of the Commonwealth Games. Now that the system has been revived and officially ratified, it will doubtlessly continue at an organised level even after the Games. Home owners who have been issued bed-and-breakfast licenses will have to renew them every two years, and three months prior to expiry.
There has also been some speculation about farmhouses in the Delhi NCR region being mobilised as stopgap accommodation measures. Going by records, requests by farmhouse owners to utilise their properties for this purpose have certainly been made. The provisions for the Bed & Breakfast scheme would extend to farmhouses as well. Conceivably, a certain number of farmhouse owners may rent out single rooms for tourist use during the Games.
Though the scheme has given a lot scopes and helpful to the immediate crisis of the room shortages, there are still some sceptical whether the schemes would be effective or successful amongst the industry expert and analysis.
Expressing his views on the issues, Rajindera Kumar, director, the Ambassador Hotel, says that though the Bread and Breakfast scheme is a good initiative which would definitely augment the existing room inventory and offer reasonable accommodation at comparatives rates, the scheme may not be very successful as it could face by various issues and problems, such as security issue, infrastructure issue, settlement of dispute. And above all there should be a nodal agency to look after all these sorts, which is why it could ultimately end up in deep disputes with non payments. Therefore, he says, it may not be very sustainable in the long run.
He is of the views that at the time of Commonwealth Games, the Bread and Break-fast inventory will definitely come handy to help solved the acute room shortage, however there is a need of strict control and regulation in terms of safety to the visitors, cleanliness, hygiene, safety and security.
Kumar, also president of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), says that beside the Government should have a nodal agency to control and regulate the scheme, it also needs to closely monitor the tariffs as per their standards, ensure safety security, hygienic standards, location of lettable rooms and approach and accessibility for the visitors etc. Once these issues are addressed, the schemes could be successful and may not have dispute.
Supporting to Rajindera Kumar, Praveen Kumar, an expert in the industry, says because of the personal sentiments attached to these properties, their location, and the fact that they have residential-use status only, this temporary semi-commercial utilisation will not turn into a long-standing trend after the Commonwealth Games.
Praveen says these farmhouses are at the luxury end of the residential market, often with carefully maintained ambiance and infrastructure. Offering them for long-term tourist use would not be a concept that would appeal to many of these farmhouse owners.
In the second place, most farmhouses in the Delhi NCR region are located in clusters around Mehrauli, Bijwasan, Rajokri and Chattarpur, which are far from strategically placed in terms of where the main Commonwealth Games action will be. As such, they would not present much of an advantage for visitors.
On the revenue front, Paramjit Singh Dugal, CEO, Casa Duga, says that even though there is no hard and fast rule of the amount charges on the guest, a house owner could fetch around Rs 1 ,800 to Rs 4,500 per room per day.
Talking about the misuse of the scheme, Dugal further says that there are reports of misuse of the B&B scheme but as of now there is no officially figured on the subject.
It may be mentioned that UT of Chandigarh has already scrapped the scheme after its operators allegedly misused it and violated rules.
DK Gupta says that so far the Delhi Government has approved more than 1000 properties under the scheme, adding that there is no reports of misusing the scheme, but anybody found misusing the scheme would definitely given punishment.
Obligations of the guest
The guest shall, among his other obligations, comply with the following -
(a) he shall disclose his correct particulars for making entries in the register maintained by the owner;
(b) he shall be responsible for his good conduct and behavior and shall not indulge in any disorderly activity leading to breach of peace, civil and social atmosphere of the locality or create any nuisance to adversely affect the rights of other guests and residents of the establishment;
(c) he shall not run a separate kitchen in the establishment;
(d) he shall be responsible for the repair of damage caused by him or by any person whom he permits on the establishment through any of their willful or negligent act, but not for damage caused by normal wear and tear
(f) he shall not allow any other person to stay in the establishment overnight.
Obligations of the owner of the premises
The owner of the premises registered as Bed & Breakfast establishment shall:
(i) maintain a register and/or computerized record in electronic form giving detailed particulars as prescribed, of the guests and keep the same readily available for inspection at all times. The register shall have to be renewed on year-to-year basis and preserved for such period as may be prescribed;
(ii) send information of the guests staying in the establishment to the municipal body concerned and the police every fortnight on the 15th and last day of every month;
(iii) display the list of guests at the establishment;
(iv) obtain verification of the employees in the establishment by the police;
(v) maintain establishment in a good state of repair and cleanliness and fit for habitation of guests at all times and shall comply with any rules respecting standards of health, hygiene and safety including fire safety;
(vi) display at a conspicuous place in the establishment the certificate of registration, type of food offered, the schedule of charges for the accommodation and food, names of employees and time of checking out;
(vii) provide good quality food prepared in hygienic conditions;
(viii) inform the guests in advance of the type of accommodation, facilities and food offered, the rates charged, time of opening and closing of the establishment, etc;
(ix) provide the food and facilities to the guests as promised; and
(x) inform the prescribed authority within a week of the changes, if any, in the facilities at the establishment as approved at the time of registration.
Restrictions on the owners of the premises
The owner of the premises shall not :
(i) maintain a front office and the entire house should appear like a normal residential house;
(ii) carry out or allow any commercial activity of tours and travel, sight-seeing, transport, handicrafts or any other similar activity in or from the establishment;
(iii) indulge or allow any such activity which adversely affects the privacy and rights of the neighbours and residents of the locality;
(iv) make misrepresentation to any person in respect of the establishment; and
(v) indulge in any kind of touting activity.
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