Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Yojana

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Yojana is the official homestay registration scheme of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), Department of Tourism, Government of Uttarakhand. Under this scheme, any house owner who wants to offer the residential rooms of his or her home to tourists can register the house as a homestay with the Tourism Department. After registration, the owner can provide night stay and home-cooked meals to guests and charge a fee for these services.

The state launched the scheme because many tourist spots in the remote rural areas of Uttarakhand, despite their natural beauty and cultural heritage, lacked proper accommodation and food facilities, and tourists often skipped them. The objective of the scheme is to attract tourists to urban as well as remote tourist areas, increase quality accommodation, create self-employment at the local level, and give building owners an additional source of income. The idea also offers domestic and foreign tourists clean and affordable stays in rural areas, where they can live with an Indian family, experience local culture and traditions, and enjoy authentic Uttarakhandi cuisine. Through this, the government also aims to support rural livelihoods and help reduce migration from the hills.

The Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Scheme does not give any cash subsidy. Its key benefit is a legal and recognised status for the homestay. A registered homestay owner does not need any separate registration under the Sarai Act or any other Act; the department treats the unit as fully non-commercial, and UTDB promotes the unit on its official website so that tourists can find and book it. The department also arranges capacity building and training for registered homestay owners. The scheme applies to the whole of Uttarakhand, with separate facility standards for rural and urban areas, but it does not cover resorts, hotels, motels, guest houses, or lodges.

The scheme works on simple conditions. The owner must live in the house with the family, and the homestay can offer a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 rooms to tourists. The applicant applies with the prescribed fee; the District Tourism Development Officer (DTDO) checks the application and the property, and the department places the unit in the Diamond, Gold, or Silver category based on its rating marks. A registration remains valid for 2 years, and the owner can apply for renewal within 3 months of its expiry. The department completes the registration process within 30 days of receiving the application. Operating a homestay without registration can attract a fine of ₹10,000, plus ₹500 per day if the violation continues.

To further promote tourism and support local prosperity in Uttarakhand, alongside the Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Yojana, the state government runs the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grah Aawas (Home Stay) Vikas Yojana; this scheme has been started to provide an unprecedented experience to domestic and foreign tourists while enabling residents to improve their financial condition by using their homes as tourist resting places. Interested applicants can explore the complete details of the scheme here.

Benefits of Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas Yojana

Registration under the Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Yojana provides house owners with officially recognised homestay status, along with the following key benefits:

• Earn from your home: Registered owners can offer overnight stays and meals to tourists and charge a fee for them.
• No Sarai Act registration: Owners do not need any separate registration under the Sarai Act or any other Act.
• Non-commercial status: The department treats a registered homestay as a fully non-commercial unit.
• Free online promotion: UTDB lists and promotes the registered unit on its official website and homestay directory.
• Training support: The department provides capacity building and training to registered homestay owners.
• Official certificate: Owners get a registration certificate that they can download directly from the portal without any middleman.
• Local self-employment: The scheme creates income and employment opportunities in rural and remote areas.

Homestay Categories and Rating

The department places every registered homestay in one of the three categories based on the rating parameters prepared by UTDB.

Eligibility Requirements

To register a homestay under the Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Scheme, the house owner must fulfil the following eligibility conditions.

• The unit must be a fully residential house, and the owner must live in it with his or her family.
• The house must be under the full private ownership of the applicant without any dispute. If the property is jointly owned, the applicant must get an NOC from the other co-owners through an affidavit.
• The homestay must offer at least 1 and at most 6 rooms to tourists. Each room can have two or more beds, but not more than four beds in any case.
• Each room must meet the minimum area (120 sq ft or 100 sq ft in urban areas and 100 sq ft or 80 sq ft in rural areas, depending on the category).
• Every homestay must have a toilet with adequate water, electricity, ventilation, light, and other necessary fittings.
• The unit must be clean, protected with fire safety equipment, and soundly constructed.
• The unit must have parking space for at least 2 cars for one room, plus space for one more car for every additional room.
• The owner must keep the toilets clean and dispose of waste properly.

Documents Required

Applicants must keep the following documents ready when applying for homestay registration under the Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Scheme.

• Aadhaar number
• Passport-size colour photograph of the owner
• Aadhaar-linked mobile number
• Affidavit on ₹100 non-judicial stamp paper (Annexure-3), addressed to the District Tourism Development Officer
• Land/building ownership records
• Building map (or a declaration in the affidavit if the building was built before the formation of the development authority or local body)
• NOC from co-owners through an affidavit, if the property is jointly owned
• Photographs of the homestay building
• Previous registration certificate, if you are renewing or were registered earlier

Steps to Apply

The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) accepts homestay registration applications online through its official Homestay Registration Portal. Applicants can complete the registration process by following the steps below.

Step 1: New User Sign Up

First-time applicants must create an account on the UTDB Homestay Portal.

• Visit the official UTDB portal.
• Click on "New User Sign Up".
• Fill in the registration form with valid details and submit it.
• The portal redirects you to the login page. Log in with your credentials to open the UTDB Homestay dashboard.

Step 2: Fill the Application Form

After logging in, complete the homestay application from your dashboard.

• Click on "Application Form" on the dashboard.
• Fill in your personal details, homestay location, accommodation details, and additional information.
• Upload all the required documents.
• Click on "Save and Continue". The portal opens a preview page.
• Check all the details carefully and click on "Save and Continue to Payment".

Step 3: Pay the Registration Fee

The payment page shows your basic details and the amount you need to pay.

• Read and accept all the listed agreements.
• Click on "Save and Continue" and complete the online payment.
• After a successful payment, the dashboard shows your application status as "Submitted".

Step 4: Verification and Certificate

The District Tourism Development Officer (DTDO) reviews every submitted application.

• The DTDO checks your application and documents. The department can also inspect the property against the official checklist.
• If the DTDO finds any shortcomings, you must fix them within the time given; otherwise, the department rejects the application.
• Once the DTDO approves the application, the portal generates your certificate and sends you a notification.
• Go to "Certificates" on the dashboard to view and download your homestay registration certificate.

Homestay Registration Renewal Process

A registration stays valid for 2 years, and owners can apply for renewal within 3 months of its expiry on the same portal.

• Visit the official UTDB portal and click on "Registered User Sign-in".
• Click on "Forgot Password" on the login page.
• Enter your registered email address or mobile number and submit the OTP you receive.
• On the "Reset Password" page, set a new password and click "Submit".
• Log in with the new password and click on "Application Form".
• Fill in your details, upload documents, check the preview, and click "Save and Continue to Payment".
• Accept the agreements, pay the fee, and track your application until the DTDO issues the renewed certificate.

Rules for Registered Homestay Owners

After registration, owners must follow these conditions to keep their homestay certificate valid.

• Display the registration certificate in a clearly visible place in the house.
• Do not set up a hotel-style reception counter; keep the house like a normal home.
• Do not mislead tourists or engage in any kind of brokerage.
• Share the approved room tariff with the District Tourism Development Office and display it at a suitable place in the house.
• Maintain a guest register with name, age, address, phone number, ID proof, nationality, arrival and departure, room number, purpose of visit and, for foreigners, passport and visa details.
• Submit Form C for every foreign tourist to the local police station in urban areas, or to the Gram Prahari/Patwari/Revenue Police in rural areas.
• Send monthly tourist arrival statistics (Indian and foreign) to the District Tourism Development Office by the 5th of every month.
• Allow a guest to stay for a maximum of 15 days; a longer stay needs the owner's consent for re-registration.
• Inform the DTDO within 30 days of any change in facilities; otherwise, the committee can cancel the registration.
• Do not lend, transfer, or assign the registration certificate to anyone without written permission.

Penalty and Appeal

The Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Yojana imposes strict penalties to discourage the operation of unregistered homestays.

• Operating without registration or breaking the rules: Fine of ₹10,000; if the violation continues, an extra ₹500 per day.
• Transferring or lending the certificate without permission: Fine of ₹10,000.
• Cancellation: The department can cancel registration at any time for poor upkeep, misbehaviour with tourists, irregularities or involvement in a criminal case.
• Appeal: An owner can appeal against any order to the District Magistrate (Appellate Authority) within 60 days of receiving the order.
• Recovery: The authority can recover unpaid penalties as land revenue arrears.

Relevant Links

• Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Yojana New User Registration
• Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Scheme Login
• Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Yojana Details
• Guidelines of Atithi Uttarakhand Grih Awas (Home Stay) Panjikaran Yojana 

Contact Information

• Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) Helpline Number: 1364
• Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) Helpdesk Email:
  • [email protected]
  • [email protected]
  • [email protected]