Faced with shortage of jail officials, including deputy jailors, head warders, warders and female warders, which is leaving an adverse impact on the functioning of jail administration, IG jail PVK Prasad has sent a proposal to the State Government for the recruitment of 360 jail officials, on Saturday. Earlier, the jail administration had sought around 100 policemen on deputation for a year from the State Government- a proposal which is still pending.
Shortage of jail officials coupled with the fact that 11 jails located in the State are cramming in around three times more inmates than their capacities is supposed to have resulted in two inmates’ suicides over the past 10 days. This aside, two infamous incidents- Roorkee sub-jail shootout and escape of gangster Amit Malik ‘Bhura’ who was in Dehradun jail from policy custody in Baghpat has dented further into the already dwindling reputation of the jail administration.
To tone up jail administration and to overcome the dragging staff crunch in the jails, IG Jail had earlier sought around 100 policemen and 16 sub-inspectors on deputation for a year from the State Government. However, things are hanging fire with the State Government still dithering. Moreover, a proposal on construction of four new jails in Champawat, Bageshwar, Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag and a sub-jail at Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar district keeps pending before the State Government for a long time.
IG Jail PVK Prasad said he had inspected the jails in Roorkee, Haridwar, Almora, Haldwani, Pauri and Dehradun recently and observed acute space crunch in the jails thanks to the continuing flow of the inmates. To accommodate the increasing number of inmates, the jail officials have been directed to divide a cell into different compartments. The officials are considering it, it is learned.
To permanently solve the staff crunch problem, IG Jail has asked the State Government to recruit 360 jail officials. The recruitment if cleared will be held for posts of clerk warder, reserve warder, woman warder, woman head warder, reserve head warder, head warder, deputy jailors and jail superintendents. Some home guards have been deputed in jails as a temporary solution, he added.
Taking note of two recent suicide cases by inmates in jails of Chamoli and Haridwar, we have directed the jail officers to provide counseling by doctors to the inmates. The jail officials have also been directed to monitor the movements of the inmates constantly, he added.