Haryana sets up district-level boards to monitor jails, includes human rights panel member

Haryana sets up district-level boards to monitor jails, includes human rights panel member

Chandigarh, The Haryana government has constituted district-level Boards of Visitors for all 20 jails in the state in compliance with a landmark judgment of the Supreme Court, with a key role for the Haryana Human Rights Commission in the mechanism, officials said.

Haryana sets up district-level boards to monitor jails, includes human rights panel member

In the process of the boards' formation, the human rights panel has nominated its assistant registrar, Puneet Arora, as an official member representing the body, a formal communication sent to the Jails Department on November 5 stated.

In a landmark verdict delivered in October 2024, the apex court banned caste-based discrimination like division of manual labour, segregation of barracks and bias against prisoners of de-notified tribes and habitual offenders.

On July 30, 2026, the Supreme Court directed all state governments and Union territories to constitute a Board of Visitors in every district, headed by the principal district judge concerned, within four weeks. On September 10, it sought compliance reports from the states and Union territories.

According to the notification issued by the Jails Department, the Haryana government said on October 30 that the boards have been formed in all districts.

Each board comprises the district magistrate, superintendent of police, chief medical officer, district employment officer, district social welfare officer, district industrial officer, executive engineers of the Public Health and Public Works Departments, district education officer and officers from the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments.

In addition, three MLAs, including one woman, nominated by the speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly, and the Haryana Human Rights Commission representative will serve as official members.

Two social workers from each district, including one woman, have also been included as non-official members.

According to the Haryana government notification, each board will be required to visit the jail concerned at least once every quarter. The quorum for an inspection will consist of the chairperson and at least three other members, making a minimum of four members in total.

The objective is to regularly assess the actual conditions in prisons and monitor the facilities available to prisoners as well as the treatment meted out to them, officials said, adding that the inspections will focus on whether prisoners are facing any form of discrimination on the grounds of caste, gender or disability, and whether they are being provided adequate medical facilities, a hygienic environment, proper food and security.

The availability of legal aid, skill development opportunities, rehabilitation facilities and mental healthcare arrangements will also be assessed.

On being nominated as an official member representing the human rights panel, Arora on Sunday said that HHRC Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra, along with both members, Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, inspects one jail every month.

He has time and again accompanied them on these visits and had the opportunity to gain first-hand insight into prison conditions and arrangements, he said.

These visits, he said, helped him understand that the protection of human rights in prisons is not merely a matter of rules and administrative arrangements; it also requires a sensitive understanding of the actual circumstances, problems and basic needs of prisoners.

He emphasised that special attention must be given to medical facilities, sanitation, food, legal aid, the specific needs of women prisoners, mental health, skill development and rehabilitation. "Direct interaction with prisoners during inspections, listening to their grievances and bringing their concerns to the notice of the concerned authorities are also important means of improving the system," he said.

Arora further said that the Board of Visitors provides an important mechanism for regularly assessing the actual conditions in prisons and bringing shortcomings to the attention of the concerned authorities.

Representing HHRC, his role would be to effectively highlight issues concerning the rights and human dignity of prisoners and offer constructive suggestions for improving the facilities and arrangements in prisons.

He added that, in keeping with the spirit of the Supreme Court's directions, all stakeholders must work in coordination to make prisons more humane, sensitive and reform-oriented institutions.

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