Sikkim Police exempts local document holders from tenant verification; CAP slams govt for 'poor planning'

However, on February 11, Sikkim's Director General of Police (DGP) Akshay Sachdeva issued a clarification, exempting tenants who hold relevant documents proving their domicile in the state.

Anyone possessing a Sikkim Subject Certificate, Certificate of Identification, Voter ID Card of a Sikkim constituency, land documents in Sikkim, or a residential certificate from Sikkim is exempt from the verification process. The clarification came after an earlier announcement on January 31, which had included Sikkim document holders in the verification process.

In a press conference at the Sikkim Police headquarters in Gangtok, DGP Sachdeva stated, "Any person with any one of the five documents need not come for verification at the local police station. Even if they are domestic helpers residing away from their native home within Sikkim, they need not verify themselves. Students residing away from their native places also need not verify themselves. The government's initiative is only against individuals who do not have the above-mentioned five documents."

However, every property owner who has a tenant from another state residing in their property must inform the local police. The verification cost is to be borne by the tenants themselves, according to the DGP.

The DGP assured that a written notification from the state government will soon be made available. From February 15, police outposts will also begin receiving verification documents, sharing the current workload with police stations.

On the motive behind the tenant verification, Sachdeva cited the Sikkim Tenants and Domestic and Professional Helps (Compulsory Verification) Act, 2008, and its strict implementation in the state.

"The motive is not harassment but to protect local citizens and ensure national security. We want to create a proper database of people genuinely residing in the state with proper documents, separating them from those without the five aforementioned documents," the official said.

Sachdeva also pointed out that if an individual has moved to another state and later returns to Sikkim, a reverification will be carried out. "Reverification is to check if the person has committed any crimes in another state and comes to Sikkim for a safe haven. The time frame for reverification, depending on the duration of stay in another state, will be notified by the government soon," he added.

However, for intra-state movement from one police jurisdiction to another, tenants will not need to undergo reverification. This also applies if a tenant changes their address to a different location from their registered address during verification.

"The house owner can share information that they have a new tenant who previously lived in another location. However, if the tenant's statement to the police is found to be false, the tenant will be held accountable, not the property owner," clarified the DGP.

On February 10, a large crowd gathered at government offices with people thinking it was the last day for registration. However, DGP Sachdeva clarified, "The deadline is not February 10; it is a continuous process that will continue until a proper database of residents is created. The urgency was to urge the people in the state to complete the verification as soon as possible. Hence, the February 10 deadline was given, but police stations will continue to receive verification documents without any deadline."

Regarding foreign nationals residing and working in the state, the DGP urged them to register at foreign national registration offices or at the office issuing the Inner Line Permit (ILP). He assured that the written notification from the government would soon provide further clarity on any such issues.

When asked if the verification process would have been easier at Sikkim's entry-point checkposts, the DGP said, "We do not want to harass people by stopping every vehicle and checking documents. It will cause traffic jams with thousands of vehicles. It will also be a hassle for tourists and locals commuting across the state's borders. However, foreigners commuting will be screened."

With the deadline no longer being enforced, Sikkim Police will not deploy flying squads for verification and checking of properties across the state, as earlier notified. The Sikkim Police official assured that action would be taken after the written notification from the state government is made public.

Later in the day, the Citizen Action Party (CAP) slammed the state government for lacking a "proper plan" for the implementation of the Act.

CAP accused the Sikkim Police of failing to maintain a proper database of non-residential citizens and migrant workers in the 17 years since the enactment of the Sikkim Tenants and Domestic and Professional Helps (Compulsory Verification) Act, 2008, and claimed that the lack of a database is in direct violation of the Act.

CAP spokesperson Albert Gurung, during a press conference at the Press Club of Sikkim, stated, "The verification being done by the state government to check the influx into the state is a welcome initiative, which CAP has also raised. But the urgency with which the February 10 deadline was declared has exposed the government for lacking proper planning in implementing the process. The urgency and lack of clarity are proving to be a harassment for the public."

Further, after the DGP clarified the exemption for locals, CAP criticized the "poor planning" of the verification initiative.

"Earlier, Sikkim Police had mentioned that locals would also have to go through verification, but today the DGP changed that rule. There seems to be no plan, no roadmap, causing harassment to the public," Gurung said.

CAP also questioned what the government would do with all the revenue collected from locals who are now exempted. "The bank receipt submitted for verification is directed to the Sikkim Police. Now with the exemption for document-holding citizens, the revenue collected should be refunded," they said.

The party also accused the government of using the verification drive as a means to collect revenue from the public.

"The amount of revenue collected for the verification drive is immense, as every State Bank of Sikkim branch in the state is witnessing massive crowds. We feel this is being done to collect revenue for ulterior motives, especially as the financial year draws to a close," the party sais.

Drawing a parallel with the recent deportation of illegal immigrants by the United States of America, CAP Sikkim spokesperson further stated, "The ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) party had mentioned in their 2019 manifesto that they would bring local protection to the state once they form the government. Rather than carrying out a verification drive on tenants and labourers, the SKM party had ample time over the years to pass a local protection act in the Assembly."

"In the upcoming assembly session, the government must pass a better local protection act. There should be better local protection, such as an Inner Line Permit in the state, rather than collecting revenue from the people under the guise of verification," he added. (ANI)