Bhubaneswar, Oct. 7: The state government today issued guidelines for owners of hotels, lodges and guesthouses across the state to combat incidents of terrorism and other crimes.
The guidelines say hotels and other such accommodation centres will have to register themselves with police. They will also have to put up a mechanism for identification of occupants, and in case of any suspicion, the nearby police station needs to be informed on priority basis.
Besides, closed-circuit television cameras have been made mandatory for such establishments. The gadgets will have to be installed at the entry and exit points, corridors and other strategic places.
Those, who already have the cameras installed, need to upgrade the same to a more modern version.
Odisha DGP R.P. Sharma directed all the district superintendents of police as well as the police commissionerate to start implementing the guideline to ensure proper security measures in hotels. 'All such establishments will have to follow the guideline in spirit,' said Sharma.
The circulation further mandates installation of baggage and vehicle scanners at these places. Bars should be closed within the prescribed time limit, and there should be timely renewal of their licences. The fire safety equipment should be installed and the testing of the systems should be done periodically.
The hotel owners have also been asked to put up a system for regular verification of the character and antecedent of their employees. If the hotel owners fail to abide by the guideline, strict legal action will be taken against them.
People welcomed the move by terming it a timely step. 'Often, illegal activities take place in hotels and lodges. Proper verification of the boarders and the staff is necessary. I hope the guideline will help ensure better security for all,' said Balangir resident Dibakar Jena.
Woman held
The economic offences wing (EoW) on Saturday arrested a woman for allegedly duping people in land deal. She allegedly duped investors of Rs 2 crore in lieu of providing litigation-free land at Chandaka. Rosalin Mallik, was a director of Nirman Resourses Pvt. Ltd and the wife of Chinmaya, who was arrested by the EoW earlier in a similar case.
