Team Herald
VASCO: The Tenant Verification has once again raised its ugly head after the double murder at Ambaji, Fatorda.
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Some locals from Vasco say that many landlords avoid filing the Tenant Verification in the Port Town of Vasco. Most of them, they allege, have political connections and get rent without going through the verification process. It is not a problem, said one local, when everything is smooth. However, he added that if there is some crime or fights involved then the tenant verification comes to the fore. He said that police find it difficult to trace a culprit without the details of the person involved in nefarious activities.
“Had the landlord in Fatorda not filled the Tenant Verification form, it would have been very difficult for the Goa and Mumbai police to trace the killers who were arrested in Mumbai trying to escape to their home State Jharkhand,” said another Vascoite.
The migrant workers in the Port town have outnumbered the locals said another local. “Landlords, using their political affiliations, are allegedly involved in illegal constructions to make a fast buck by keeping the migrants as tenants, mostly without filling the Verification Form, said another local who wished to be anonymous.
Peter Andrade, a resident of Mangor Hill, said that though under the law, tenants have to be verified by the police, only few landlords go through the process of police verification. Whereas there are considerable number of landlords and house owners who are politically well connected, fearlessly go ahead with construction of rooms illegally.”
Andrade said, “Some years back he had personally visited the Vasco police station to report on unverified tenants in his locality.”
“The police did note the names of the landlords and said they would confirm if the tenants are verified. But no such confirmation came and the activity continued with new tenants replacing old ones every month. Unknown persons are also seen moving in and out of such rooms at odd hours,” he added.
Parshuram Sonurlekar, an activist, also mentioned that most of the tenants being migrant labourers it is also logistically difficult for the police to verify but then it is mandatory to verify and the onus rests on the landlords. Drunken brawls, heated arguments, over flowing sewage tanks, additional garbage and various other disturbances are seen in localities where migrant labour are housed.
When a crime occurs, it is the police who are asked questions of tenant verification. The rooms are let out without any Leave and Licence agreement and this causes a loss to the State treasury as no stamp papers are used,” Sonurlekar added. Hardly few of the rooms are under the Municipal house tax net and this also causes a loss of revenue to the cash starved Mormugao Municipal council” added.
Ninio Correia, youth activist from Goencho Avaaz, also opined that tenant verification plays an important role in verifying tenants who are mostly migrants from other States. We cannot put the entire blame on the police, but I feel the landlords are equally to be blamed for not carrying out the tenant’s verification,” he added.
“To avoid any life threatening situation and crimes from taking place, the people need to be extra alert about the newcomers in the locality and there should be strict vigil from police too to avoid any nefarious activities,” Ninio added.
