PUNJAB to prepare master plan for overall development of jails in state

Chandigarh, February 2, 2013: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Jail department to prepare a comprehensive master plan to be implemented in next four years in a phased manner for the overall development of existing jails besides the construction of new sub-jails at divisional as well as district levels in the state.

A decision to this effect has been taken by Badal during a high level meeting with the Jail Superintendents and the top brass of the Jail and Health departments at his official residence today.

Badal asked the Jail department to initiate measures to tone up the jail administration in an effective manner to avoid any untoward incident in jails. He further said that in order to meet with the new challenges efficaciously, the jail administration requires immediate jail reforms in terms of jail security as well as ensuring basic requirements for jail inmates like nutritious diet and proper health care facilities.

In a view to make inmates more responsive and disciplined, the Chief Minister asked the Jail department to re-introduced the Nambardar system in all the jails of the state which would also be helpful in creating a cordial atmosphere between prisoners and jail administration.

Badal approved Rs. 1.72 crore for the immediate maintenance of various jails across the state. He also approved to utilize the annual lease money that the jail department was getting from the Industries department against the chunk of its land in Ludhiana, for the development works in the jails.

To improve the food quality in jails, Badal asked the Jail department to review the diet norms system besides displaying the diet chart in all the jails. He also approved to constitute a committee comprising IG (Jails), representatives of Central jails and Sub-jails besides a dietician from PGI Chandigarh which would submit its report within 15 days to recommended proper nutritious food for jail inmates. He also asked the Superintendents of jails to work out the modalities to run two kitchens in each central jail with the mechanized modern system. He further asked the Jail department to introduce Credit Card System for inmates in all the 8 central jails to buy items from the jail canteens.

The Chief Minister also informed that the state government was releasing Rs. 8 crore under Integrated Child Protection Scheme to the Juvenile homes for their reforms.

Expressing concern over the health related issues of the prisoners; Badal asked the health department to introduce a contractual system under which the services of some Private Gynecologists and Pediatrician would be hired for providing proper health care to lady prisoners and their children.

Appreciating the efforts of health department in providing advanced training in de-addiction to the 17 doctors of the state’s central jails from PGI under the De-addiction Coordination Programme, Badal approved the proposal to depute 14 pharmacists of Health department against the vacant posts in various jail dispensaries immediately besides outsourcing the services of 14 doctors for these dispensaries.

Badal also directed the home department to expedite the ongoing selection procedure for appointing 900 wardens by the end of February positively.

 While reviewing the plan for the construction of new Central Jail at Amritsar, Badal approved to construct a separate jail for women besides the staff’s residential accommodations over an area of 28 acres in addition to a new jail for under trails and convicts over an area of 42 acres. 

Prominent amongst those who were present in the meeting included Jails Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Jails) Sant Balvir Singh Ghunas, Principal Secretary Home DS Bains, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister SK Sandhu, Technical Advisor to the Chief Minister Lt. Gen. (Retd.) BS Dhaliwal, Principal Secretary Health Vini Mahajan, Secretary Finance Jaspal Singh, Secretary Jails Raji P Srivastva, DGP Jails RP Meena, IG Jails Jagjit Singh, DGSE KS Pannu, Secretary Social Welfare Husan Lal, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Gurkirat Kirpal Singh and CA PUDA Manvesh Singh Sidhu besides all Jail Superintendents and other officers of various departments.