JCF to register & monitor Hostels, PGs

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 13 (MExN): The Joint Council Forum (JCF), comprising Middle Point Council, Churches Colony Council, NST Colony Council, Nyamo Lotha Colony Council and Khermahal Area Council, has announced plans to register and monitor hostels and paying guest (PG) accommodations within its jurisdiction amid complaints of late-night disturbances and inadequate supervision.

In a statement, the JCF said it had received complaints regarding “late-night disturbances, drunken brawls, unrestricted entry and exit, unauthorized gatherings and lack of adequate supervision” in such establishments. While acknowledging their role in providing residential facilities, the Forum stated that “no establishment can operate without responsibility, discipline and compliance with law when public safety, neighbourhood peace and student welfare are at stake.”

The JCF said it would initiate systematic registration, review and monitoring of all hostels and PG accommodations under its jurisdiction. Owners and operators have been asked to cooperate with guidelines to be issued by the Forum in coordination with competent authorities.

The proposed framework will cover mandatory registration, maintenance of resident records, responsible management, regulation of timings and visitors, safety measures and periodic compliance inspections. Violations may be referred to law enforcement authorities where necessary, it added.

Clarifying the purpose of the proposed measures, the Forum said they were “intended solely to ensure safety, accountability and orderly residential management” and were not targeted at any individual or group. The JCF called on all operators to regularise their establishments and act responsibly, stating that “community safety and public order cannot be compromised for commercial interests.”