A recent directive issued by the District Magistrate of South Goa District, Margao, mandates thorough tenant verification for all residential and commercial property owners in the region. According to the order, landlords of properties such as residential buildings, hotels, lodging houses, shacks, guest houses, and paying guest accommodations must verify the identity of their tenants using official documents like election cards, driving licenses, Aadhaar cards, or passports.
Furthermore, property owners are required to input the tenant details into the PATHIK (Programme for Analysis of Traveler and Hotel Informatics) software developed by the police. This step ensures comprehensive monitoring and record-keeping of tenant information.
The order prohibits landlords from renting out any accommodation without providing tenant particulars to the Police In-Charge of the relevant police station. Additionally, accommodation managers must facilitate inspections of the maintained records in the designated software by police authorities or other authorized entities as requested.
In addition to tenant verification measures, the directive also emphasizes enhanced security measures for ATMs operated by nationalized banks in South Goa District. It mandates the deployment of round-the-clock security guards and the installation of CCTV cameras or Electronic Survey Systems (ESS) equipped with panic buttons, hooters, two-way communication systems, and remote control functionalities.
Effective from March 22, 2024, the order remains in force for a duration of 60 days, unless revoked earlier. For further details, the information is available on the Department of Information and Publicity, Government of Goa website.