Cuttack, Jan. 21: The police initiative to provide a safe environment to girl students and working women at hostels or private messes by streamlining the registration process has evoked lukewarm response from those running such institutions in the city.

Of late, girls pursuing Plus Two or graduation extensively rely on such rented accommodation located especially near Chandni Chhak, Kanika Chhak, Mahanadi Vihar and CDA areas. Other boarders consist of women employed in various government or private institutions. As there is no clear guideline as to who is eligible to stay in these private messes or hostels, girls having local contacts are opting for such accommodations.

Official sources said only around 100 landowners, who had let out their buildings to such residential hostels, registered themselves at their respective police stations. The police, in November last, had issued a notice to ensure that the landowners underwent a registration process and beefed up security to protect the interest of their tenants. The order expired on January 3. Now, the police have issued another 60-day public notice for mandatory compliance of the guidelines, including the registration process.

"Already, nearly 100 persons working women's hostels or private messes have complied with the guidelines. We have issued another public notice to streamline the registration process," said deputy commissioner of police Sanjeev Arora.

"There are more than 300 private hostels and messes in various parts across the city. There is an urgent need to ensure that the police have information about all such private intuitions in view of recurring cases of crime against women," said Mission Road resident Kishore Patnaik.

Patnaik alleged that a few unidentified persons had, in October last, allegedly sneaked into a private mess for women near the Sailabala Women's College at Chandi Mandir Chhak. The incident had sparked off widespread resentment among local residents as they were unaware that a private mess had been operating in their area. The incident then had raised question on the available security measures for girls at such private accommodations even though boarders were not harmed by the intruders. The local people, however, had caught hold of two youth, while another managed to escape. In last July, a youth was beaten up near College Square for harassing and making advances to a girl near a private hostel.

"Police patrolling is required near private hostels or messes for girls during night hours, as often, goons are spotted pelting such buildings with stones," said Swagatika Sahu, a student and a boarder of a women's mess off College Square. Sahu said that most of the boarders did not lodge complaints about such incidents as they feared that they might be asked by the concerned owners to vacate the hostels.

According to the norms, a building that has been let out to five or more women - be it students or job-holders - would be deemed as a private residential hostel or mess.

The owner concerned has to ensure adequate security by raising the height of boundary walls, grille gates and doors, so that the area is secured and no one can get an easy access to such hostels or messes. They are also required to install CCTV cameras to capture images of up to 30 metres around the buildings without breaching the inmates' privacy. But, many landowners are yet to install these on the premises or maintain the register of visitors to the hostels or messes, despite the strict police guidelines.

A landowner has to submit details of the location and address of the hostel or mess to the nearest police station.

The details have to include the inmates' names, their parents' addresses, the know-how of their local guardians, contact number of the hostel or mess, number of inmates, staff deployed, number of closed-circuit television cameras installed, name of security guards and other details of the landowner.

Those running such private hostels or messes for women have also been asked to maintain an inmate register that will contain the name of the boarders, along with their photographs, details of their guardian, relation with local guardian, contact numbers and present occupation.