New Delhi, September 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Delhi Lieutenant Governor T.S. Sandhu on Monday directed authorities to strictly enforce safety norms against unsafe buildings and strengthen emergency response mechanisms following the collapse of a five-storey paying guest (PG) building in Satya Niketan that claimed seven lives.
Chairing a high-level review meeting, Sandhu also examined the shortage of accommodation for students and directed the Delhi Urban Development Minister to head a committee to review institutional PG guidelines.
The meeting was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Minister Ashish Sood, the Chief Secretary, Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Police Commissioner and other senior officials.
“Emphasised strict enforcement against unsafe buildings, clear institutional accountability, and an emergency mechanism under DDMA for swift grievance redressal and crisis coordination,” Sandhu said in a post on X.
He directed the Urban Development Minister to lead a committee comprising senior officials to review existing PG guidelines and examine alternative accommodation options for students through universities, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
The committee will also assess the feasibility of using unutilised DDA housing stock for student accommodation.
Sood said the meeting also focused on the deployment of NDRF teams at different locations and measures to reduce emergency response times. Discussions covered the shortage of residential facilities for students enrolled in Delhi University and Delhi government universities, including the possibility of providing additional relaxation in floor area ratio (FAR) norms and making existing hostels available for redevelopment with increased FAR.
The Delhi Police have arrested three people in connection with the collapsed PG building, known as ‘Hostel Daze’. Police said the five-storey structure was being operated as a boys’ PG and housed several students when it collapsed at around 1.30 p.m. on Sunday.
A police official said the electricity bill was in the name of Hariram Bansal, while his wife, Urmila, is the legal owner of the building. Their son Mahesh was allegedly responsible for running the PG and taking decisions related to its operation, the official said.
An adjacent building also collapsed, according to eyewitnesses, raising further concerns about structural safety in the area.
A day after the tragedy, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said those found responsible would not be spared. She also announced the suspension of five MCD officials following the incident.
The suspended officials are South Zone Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar, Superintending Engineer Ranvir Singh, Executive Engineer Lalit Kumar Goel, Assistant Engineer Sunil Chauhan and Junior Engineer Ashish Kumar.
The Chief Minister also coordinated with civic authorities to launch a citywide drive to seal buildings where unauthorised fifth floors have been constructed.
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