Keeping in mind the acute shortage of jail officials in various jails to deal with the rising number of inmates, the State Government will soon start recruitment process involving 300 jail officials, said State Home Secretary Vinod Sharma while talking to The Pioneer on Friday. It should be mentioned here that 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 had sent a proposal to the State Government earlier for the recruitment of 360 jail officials.
Asked on how things stand now with the jail administration having sought 100 policemen on deputation for a year from the State Government, Sharma said they have received such proposal. However, the Government would issue the order once the State DGP sends such a proposal, he added. He further said, “I was IG Jail earlier and I am aware of how things are going on there with the inmates cramming somehow in limited space. To overcome the staff crunch, the Government will soon recruit 300 jail officials in the State.”.
Mention worthy, IG Jail PVK Prasad while visiting the jails in Roorkee, Haridwar, Almora, Haldwani, Pauri and Dehradun recently 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 were directed to divide a cell into different compartments. Some home guards have been deputed in jails by way of a temporary solution.
Regarding the recruitment of the jail officials provided the State Government’s nod comes, IG Prasad said that the applicants will be selected on the basis of their physical and written tests. “We will not compromise on the question of physical fitness during the selection process, for the security of the jails is involved here. Earlier, emphasis was laid on written test that gained precedence over the physical agility in the recruitment process of jail officials. This time, both the tests would be viewed with equal importance,” he added.