In March 2015, the Bhubaneswar Commissionerate Police initiated a program encouraging house owners to provide tenant details to enhance citizen safety. Initially well-received, it was extended to women's hostels in January 2017. However, recent reports reveal a decline in compliance, with very few submission of tenant declaration forms. These forms, available at police stations and online, request tenant information. While the initiative remains optional, police stress its importance for security. It also offers a tenant verification service, but few have utilized it. A review by Deputy Commissioner of Police Prateek Singh seeks to understand the decline and reinforce the significance of this safety measure.
In a bid to enhance the safety of citizens, the Commissionerate Police in Bhubaneswar launched an initiative in March 2015, urging house owners to furnish details of their tenants at local police stations. Initially hailed for its positive response, the initiative was later extended to owners of women's hostels in January 2017. However, recent reports suggest that compliance with the program has significantly waned.
Inspector-in-Charge of a city police station expressed concerns, stating that they received a good response for one or two years, but the receipt of such documents drastically came down. These days, they hardly get one or two tenant declaration forms filled by house owners.
The declaration forms, which are available at police stations and on the police website (http://bhubaneswarcuttackpolice(dot)gov(dot)in), require house and hostel owners to provide tenant information, including names, occupations, permanent addresses, identity proofs, and photographs.
Despite the importance of the initiative for security purposes, many landlords are hesitant to participate, primarily because it is not mandatory for them to share tenant details. The system remains optional, even though police officials emphasize its necessity.
The primary objective of this initiative is to establish a comprehensive database of tenants, aimed at ensuring the safety of citizens. The police want to maintain a database of tenants. There were instances in the past when some tenants committed crimes on the property of their landlords. The database of women's hostel inmates is necessary to ensure the safety of women, explained a senior police officer.
Additionally, the initiative offers a tenant verification system, allowing landlords to pay a service fee to the Commissionerate Police for background checks on tenants. Despite the convenience of availing this service through the Odisha police citizen portal (https://citizenportal-op(dot)gov(dot)in/citizen/login(dot)asp) or Sahayata app, it has garnered very few takers. The officer noted that they have received only around 10 applications regarding tenant verification in the past six months.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Prateek Singh has announced plans to conduct a review of the system, aiming to uncover the reasons behind the declining submission of tenant declaration forms. A large number of people, mostly students and working professionals, stay on rent. The police has urged landlords to comply with the orders and help us keep the city safe.
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