To streamline the growing number of Paying Guest (PG) accommodations, the Bengaluru city police have launched a web portal - City Visitors Information Record Management System - to gather details of guests.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda said Bengaluru has around 5,000 PG facilities to accommodate around 4.5 lakh guests working in different sectors. The details of these people are not known to the city police and at times, posing challenges to investigators in case of any eventualities. The app enables PG owners to record the data voluntarily so that the required information could be handy for the police, he said.
The facility has been started as a pilot project in Marathahalli, where around 67 PGs operate. The owners of the PG have been asked to fill up the required details and follow the guidelines.
The database would help tackle crimes and law and order issues and ensure that people from other States have a safe stay, the police said. PGs have also been advised to follow a minimum set of guidelines such as CCTV cameras for security purpose.
Some neighbouring States already have this facility in place and the city police are planning to implement it in a phased manner. The only disadvantage is that as it is voluntary and not mandatory, many PGs, fearing tax issues, many not enrol in the system, a police officer said.
