The Sikkim Tenants and Domestic and Professional Helps (Compulsory Verification) Act, 2008, which mandates that property owners record and confirm the histories of their tenants, domestic helpers, and professional assistants, has been rigorously enforced by Sikkim Police over the past week. The verification period ended on February 10. Akshay Sachdeva, the Director General of Police (DGP) of Sikkim, said on February 11 that tenants who possess the necessary documentation attesting to their state residence are excluded.
The verification process does not apply to anyone who has a Sikkim Subject Certificate, Certificate of Identification, Sikkim Voter ID Card, Sikkim land documents, or a Sikkim residential certificate. Following an earlier notification on January 31 that included Sikkim document holders in the verification procedure, the correction was made. However, all property owners are required to notify the local police if they have a tenant from another state living on their property. The DGP states that the tenants are responsible for paying the verification fee. The DGP promised that the state government will provide a written notification shortly. Police outposts will share the existing workload with police stations and start receiving verification paperwork on February 15.
