Hawk’s eye on spas: UT comes out with draft regulation rules

Chandigarh: With several instances coming to the fore in the past where spas and massage centres were found to be involved in immoral trafficking and flesh trade, the UT administration has formulated its maiden draft guidelines and rules to regulate spas and massage centres in Chandigarh, almost after a year of consultations and deliberations with various stakeholders on the subject.
Having gone though successful examples in other cities, the UT administration has tried its best to cover all the aspects — from legal to administrative, permissions to punitive — to regulate these facilities. The home department of the UT has now sent draft guidelines to all the departments concerned of the Chandigarh administration for their suggestions and additions if any.


“Police department, estate office, deputy commissioner office, municipal corporation and a few other departments are collectively responsible for spas and massage centres operating in the city, officials of all these departments were the part of multiple meetings and discussions held in past one year. Currently, there are no specific guidelines to run these centres,” a senior official with the Chandigarh administration said.
The UT administration has also talked to owners, operators of spas and massage centres for their views, points and suggestions, while giving final touches to the draft. “We are looking for the spa and massage centres association, if any, or any other group of these centres to take their advice once the authorities finalize the same. We will invite all stakeholders to take an overall view, so that the owners or operators do not face any problem. But once the the guidelines are implemented, the operators will have to comply with all the norms,” a senior UT official told TOI.
Sources said many spa and massage centres were involved in illegal activities in the past. Business of spa and massage centres has gone up manifold, making regulation guidelines all the more important. “Almost all the key commercial centres now house spas and massage centres. The authorities get regular complaints about illegal activities going on at these centres,” sources in the UT said.