Udupi: The district administration, in a crackdown on illegal homestays, had shut down 109 unauthorised units over the last eight months.All homestays functioning without valid permits from the local body, police, and tourism department have been shut down. The majority of the illegal homestays were found in Udupi and Malpe areas.Tourism department assistant director Vindhya NM said the district administration has received several complaints that homestays are being operated in many houses without permissions.“Our office has already issued notices to all such homestays functioning without permits. Following this, the revenue and police departments too have conducted frequent drives to ensure that all such illegal homestays are shut down,” the officer said.The drive against illegal homestays is a regular exercise carried out jointly by various departments. The tourism department initiates drives only after issuing public notices asking individuals to obtain permission by submitting applications.The district made the drives more rigorous since Nov-Dec last year after a suo motu complaint was registered with the Lokayukta against illegal homestays, she said, adding that the tourism department has written to police stations and gram panchayats to monitor illegal homestays in the district.
