Chief Minister Mayawati on Wednesday announced a major revamping programme for state prisons, bringing them directly under control of Home department and posting IPS officers in selected jails as DIG, IG and also as ADG to free them from what she called the clutches of criminals.
Chief Minister also announced that the inquiry of the multi-crore food-scam unearthed in 28 districts in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 would be transferred to Special Investigation Team. She said the SIT has been asked to probe the role of contractors also and submit a report within three months.
Chief Minister made the announcements in assembly and later while talking to media in Lucknow on Wednesday. Chief Minister said a decision to handover the control of jail department to Home department was taken on the basis of the report of the DGP Vikram Singh. The DGP on Tuesday had been sent to Sultanpur following violence in jail there claiming six lives, said the Chief Minister.
An inquiry into the incident revealed that the entire incident had been well planned by the criminals there, she said. “The Principal Secretary Home will also work as the Principal Secretary Jail,” she said adding that modern equipment would be installed in the jails. The State Government got statewide raids conducted in jails to check the activities of criminals, she said. The criminals were leading a luxurious life from jails that had become a cosy shelter for them, she said. The raids conducted under the supervision of DMs and SSPs led to recovery of mobiles, CDs and other objectionable items, she said adding that her government would act against criminals irrespective of their party affiliation and destroy their network.
The State Government had handed over the inquiry into the food scam of 2004-2005 unearthed in Gonda and Ballia to the SIT, she said. The State Government had also decided to handover to the SIT the inquiry that the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is conducting into the irregularities in Public Distribution System (PDS) and Essential Commodities Corporation in 24 districts, she said.
{{/usCountry}}The State Government had handed over the inquiry into the food scam of 2004-2005 unearthed in Gonda and Ballia to the SIT, she said. The State Government had also decided to handover to the SIT the inquiry that the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is conducting into the irregularities in Public Distribution System (PDS) and Essential Commodities Corporation in 24 districts, she said.
{{/usCountry}}It may be mentioned that the food scam involving a sum of Rs 28 crore had been unearthed in the rural employment scheme in October 2004. The Allahabad High Court had asked the State Government to consider ordering a CBI inquiry to probe the scam. The State Government wide its order January 17, 2005 had handed over the inquiry to the EOW.