E-Paper
43% guarding staff posts vacant in Punjab jails, govt tells HC
The bench of justice Pankaj Jain had sought details of the jail infrastructure after a case came to light wherein a Nabha jail inmate had allegedly contacted his aide in Pakistan to order drugs.
Around 43% of the guarding staff posts in Punjab jails are vacant, a report submitted in the Punjab and Haryana high court has revealed.
The report also highlighted that the state’s prisons are overcrowded to the extent of 121%.
The bench of justice Pankaj Jain had sought details of the jail infrastructure after a case came to light wherein a Nabha jail inmate had allegedly contacted his aide in Pakistan to order drugs.
As per the affidavit of Punjab’s jails secretary Kumar Rahul, there are 3,192 sanctioned posts, out of which 1,382 posts, including those of head warders/ head matrons and warders/matrons, are vacant.
As per the report, there are 123 sanctioned posts of assistant superintendent, out of which 38 (30%) are vacant. Similarly, there are 68 sanctioned posts of deputy superintendent (grade-II) out of which 20 (29%) are vacant. There are 11 sanctioned posts of superintendent Central Jail (AIG level) and six are yet to be filled. Out of the four sanctioned posts of DIG (prisons), two are vacant.
The report also stated that the government is in the process of filling 186 posts.
163 officials face action in three years
It was also revealed that in 2021 as many as 58 officials faced action including 29 FIRs and 29 were suspended on various counts, including dereliction of duty, illegally helping inmates and in mobile phone seizure cases. In 2022, 32 faced FIRs and 30 were suspended. In 2023, till October, 12 faced FIRs , 18 jail officials were suspended and another 8 dismissed.
