Ranchi: Nearly 1,300 lodges and hostels surveyed by the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) have been found operating without a valid municipal licence, exposing a major regulatory gap in student accommodation across the city.The survey, launched in the 2025-26 and still under way, covers only establishments inspected so far. Officials said the total number of lodges and hostels operating within RMC limits was yet to be ascertained.The findings assume significance after a five-storey building housing a private student hostel collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday, killing seven people and injuring six.Students in Ranchi said affordability and availability often take precedence over safety checks. “Nobody checks these places regularly. We pay every month, but basic things such as fire safety, electrical wiring and emergency exits are often overlooked. We realise how unsafe a building is only after something happens,” said Rahul Kumar, residing in a private hostel.Priya Kumari, a college student, said most tenants do not ask whether a hostel has the required approvals. “We come here to study and cannot keep changing hostels. If a room is available and affordable, we take it,” she said.Safety concerns are not confined to private facilities. The 100-bed Janjatiya Boys’ Hostel at Karamtoli, which accommodates ST students, is in a dilapidated condition, with loose and exposed electrical wires adding to boarders’ fears.District welfare officer Manisha Tirkey said a new hostel building being constructed on the same premises was about 60% complete. “Students would be shifted after the work was finished,” she added.RMC records show that 194 applications for municipal licences have been received, but none has been approved. Deputy municipal commissioner Ravindra Kumar said notices would be issued to unlicensed establishments from this week.Applications will be examined for sanctioned building plans, permitted land use and other mandatory clearances. “If the sanctioned building plan does not allow commercial use, the application cannot be approved,” Kumar said.
