Patna: The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Friday came down heavily against the illegally run girls' hostel at Nandan Vatika Complex on East Boring Canal Road.

On Friday, PMC officials gave four days to the hostel operator to shut down the facility on the complex campus. Sources said those operating the hostel had violated building plans, as there was no mention of commercial usage of the property in the original plan. Those running the hostel were so fearless that they had even put up banners of the hostel on the complex building.

Members of the housing society had earlier submitted a written complaint to the corporation after which the PMC had issued separate show-cause notices to the builder, flat owner and the person running the girls' hostel on April 18 and they were sought a reply within a fortnight. However, the corporation never followed it up.

The Telegraph highlighted the issue in its June 20 report, "Civic body flunks girls' hostel test". Sources said PMC commissioner Anupam Kumar Suman took cognisance of the report and directed additional municipal commissioner Sheela Irani (the former additional superintendent of police) to submit a compliance report on what has been done in the matter so far.

Irani visited the Nandan Vatika Complex on Friday and gave instructions to the builder and the hostel operator to shut down the girls' hostel within four days or else they would face action.

"The hostel operator asked for a month to vacate the hostel and claimed that similar kinds of hostels were running in other housing societies without commercial plan approvals. The hostel operator asked why he was being targeted and the other hostels in the locality which were also violating the same norms were spared. However, additional municipal commissioner Irani told them that if they have information of other hostels running on similar lines, they should inform the corporation and action would be taken against them. Four days have been given to them to vacate the hostel. After that we would again visit the building and take necessary actions," said executive officer of PMC's New Capital circle Shailesh Kumar.

He added: "It was also found that some illegal constructions have been done in the complex as there are a few extensions without approvals in the building map. The extended illegal portions will be razed."