The State Bank of Sikkim (SBS) has collected over ₹35 lakh from more than 30,000 individuals since the tenant verification drive began on February 1. Each participant paid a fee of ₹50 as part of the initiative led by the Sikkim police to ensure proper tenant documentation.
A recent government notification has exempted local citizens holding specific documents—Sikkim Subject Certificate, Certificate of Identification, Sikkim Voter ID, Residential Certificate, or land documents—from the verification process. This exemption has led to public concerns about refunds for those who had already paid.
SBS Managing Director PW Bhutia clarified that the decision on refunds lies with the state government. “The bank has already credited the fees to the government’s account. We cannot reverse or debit the account,” Bhutia said, adding that the Finance Department is expected to make a decision soon.
The tenant verification drive initially caused disruptions at SBS branches due to the large influx of payees. To improve efficiency, SBS has introduced an online payment system, allowing citizens to pay the fee and submit receipts to their nearest police station.