PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
Twelve Paying Guest (PG) accomodations, hostels and other establishments were fined a total of Rs 1.20 lakh during a joint police and fire department checking drive in Clement Town on Saturday. The action was taken after the establishments were found to have failed to verify their tenants, police said.
The police also verified 178 outsiders and tenants during the drive. The teams checked the fire safety arrangements at the establishments and also spoke to owners, managers and staff about the use of fire fighting equipment.
The 12 establishment owners were issued challans under section 83 of the Police Act for not carrying out tenant verification. They were fined a total of Rs 1.20 lakh.
The checking is important as PGs and hostels accommodate a large number of people, including outsiders and students, police said. Proper tenant verification can help authorities keep a record of people living in these establishments. The police said that the fire safety checks are also important in such places because a large number of people may be staying in the same building.
The police and fire safety department warned the owners and managers to follow fire safety rules. They said strict legal action would be taken if negligence or irregularities are found during future inspections.
