PG owners told to provide tenants’ details to police in a month
Paying guest accommodations have been told to share details of the PGs with the police within a month, according to an order by district magistrate Mohammad Shayin. A press release issued on behalf of Shayin on Tuesday said about PGs that “these persons are students pursuing various courses, are patients undergoing treatment and also are citizens pursuing various vocations. As they are not tenants, they are not expected to be registered with the police.”
Paying guest accommodations have been told to share details of the PGs with the police within a month, according to an order by district magistrate Mohammad Shayin.
A press release issued on behalf of Shayin on Tuesday said about PGs that “these persons are students pursuing various courses, are patients undergoing treatment and also are citizens pursuing various vocations. As they are not tenants, they are not expected to be registered with the police.”
This, the DM apprehends, may allow anti-social elements to reside in Chandigarh.
“As the arrangement does not strictly fall in the category of tenancy and even the premises is not in the category of guest house or hotel, at present. This category of residents are not been accounted for and, therefore, there is a likelihood that this arrangement is abused by anti-social elements,” the release said.
“In addition, there are also reports that immoral activities are being indulged in by some of the PGs.” Shayin said he was of the opinion that “some check is necessary on the landlords, owners or managers of such PG accommodations”.
Thus, under Section 144 of the CRPC, “all persons who intend to offer accommodation to paying guests should inform in writing the particulars of such guests to the station house officer concerned… within one month from the issue of these orders.” Those who do not heed can be prosecuted under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which deals with disobedience of a due order by public servant.
It has been two years since the UT administration clarified the definition of a PG accommodation, but hardly 10 of the estimated 1,000 such accommodations are approved. A major reason behind this is that PG house owners, if registered, have to pay commercial tariff for water and power.
Sealing on this count is not carried out as regularly as to prove a deterrent to non-registration.
Register the domestic help
In another order, district magistrate Mohammad Shayin noted that “domestic servants and other domestic helpers often have a large part to play in crime and that they are sometimes themselves the perpetrators or active conspirators in committing of offences”. Thus, he ordered that no such worker be employed unless his/her particulars are furnished to the SHO concerned in writing in the form designed by the local police.
Cyber café ID rule
For cyber cafes, too, the DM again issued orders prohibiting use of such cafes by those whose identity has not been established by the owner. Owners have to maintain a register for identity of the users; make an entry in handwriting of the user with name, address, telephone number and identity proof; an activity server log of internet use be preserved for six months. However, while disallowing opening of commercial establishments between 1am and 4.30am, the DM noted that cyber cafes can remain open till 2am.