Bhubaneswar, Nov. 17 -- Following the recent Red Fort blast incident, the entire country has been placed on high alert. The situation has triggered fresh security concerns in Odisha's Puri, the tourism-heavy town that witnesses lakhs of visitors daily.

Police are particularly worried about tourists staying in unregistered homestays and illegal lodging facilities in and around the Puri Jagannath Temple.

While registered hotels and lodges are required to submit guest data through official apps, the holy city has seen an explosive rise in unlicensed homestays and anonymous lodging units.

"People are modifying their houses for tourists. They are not even putting up any signboard to evade tax and other regulatory norms. A simplification of ...