B'luru Police asks PG owners to upload tenant details on web portal

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: A few days after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) decided to take a decisive step to regulate the Paying Guest (PG) accomodation in the city, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda on Tuesday recommended the PG owners to upload comprehensive tenant details on a dedicated web portal.

This initiative aims to create a centralised database that can be readily accessed by the Bengaluru police as well as the BBMP in order to enhance security and keep a closer eye on individuals residing in Paying Guest.

However, Dayananda said presently this drive has been started on a trial basis at 167 PGs in Marathahalli and will further be extended to other parts of Bengaluru in the coming days.

The Police Commissioner mentioned that this initiative stems from studying similar systems in other states.

"There's an estimated 5,000 PGs in Bengaluru, housing over 4.5 lakh individuals. Most PGs are in the East and South East areas are densely populated by IT professionals," he said.

He said the police often lack information about PG residents, causing complications during crime investigations or legal procedures. Following other states' leads, a web portal is launched where owners can voluntarily upload tenant details.

This portal is seen as a potential aid for both owners and law enforcement in handling cases. Since tenants frequently come and go, leaving no records behind, this website could fill that gap during criminal incidents.

The drive is also expected to address various concerns raised by the residents and citizen activists related to the rapid proliferation of PGs, highlighting the lack of government action against unlicensed establishments.

The BBMP has been receiving complaints about residential buildings being converted into PGs without proper authorization.