The Trinamool Congress-led Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has decided to conduct a comprehensive survey of tenants residing in the civic area in an attempt to strengthen public safety .
Mayor Gautam Deb said the civic body would prepare specific guidelines and deploy teams to collect details of individuals living in rented accommodations.
“Our teams will visit each locality to gather information about tenants. This data will be compiled into a database and stored in the SMC server,” said mayor Deb.
A source in the civic body said the move comes in the wake of the recent criminal incidents in the city, including the June 22 armed robbery at a jewellery shop on Hill Cart Road, the June 19 ATM heist at Champasari, as well as frequent turf wars among goons. Those arrested in the robbery and ATM heist were from other states.
Deb said that Siliguri receives a constant influx of visitors since it is close to the interstate borders of Bihar and the northeastern states, and to international borders of Nepal, Bangaldesh and Bhutan.
“Every day, several people enter the city for various reasons and stay in hotels or rented houses. While hotels maintain and share records of their guests, there is no such mandatory system for tenants. We are addressing this vital gap,” added Deb.
The mayor said house owners will be required to share details of their tenants with the civic authorities.
“This step is vital for the security of the city and its residents. Given our geographical sensitivity, a tenant verification system is essential,” the mayor added.
Deb, also a veteran Trinamool Congress leader, added that while police are there to maintain security, it might not be possible for them to keep a watch over every single resident.
“We are also trying to create a formal structure of verification,” said Deb.
SMC officials said a standard format will be circulated for the survey.
As part of the survey, authorities will collect key details about both house owners and tenants, including photographs.
Copies of the completed forms will be shared with the police stations concerned and the municipal office, where they will be stored for future reference.