Govt to upgrade security of jails, recruit 300 wardens

Tribune News Service

Neena Sharma

Dehradun, September 3

The Home Department has decided to upgrade security of jails in Uttarakhand. It is planning to post around six sub-inspectors at the entrance gates of the jails at Suddhowala and Haridwar. It will recruit around 300 jail wardens to be posted at Suddhowala, Haridwar, Roorkee and Sitarganj jails. Around 50 police men will be recruited for guard duty at the main entrance of the district jails.

“The numbers of security men at the entrance and on the jail premises is less. With increase in the number of inmates, security in jails needs to be upgraded,” said Manisha Panwar, Principal Secretary, Department of Home Affairs.

In the past, the state government had delayed provision of better facilities for convicts and under-trial. Under the 13th Finance Commission, the Central government had released funds for the modernisation of jails, but, the state government did not utilise these funds due to delay in the submission of proposal.

Now, under the 14th Finance Commission the Central government has withdrawn this provision, thus, forcing the state government to make provisions for funds from its own pocket.

The budget for the Department of Home Affairs has been earmarked at Rs 20 crore for 2015-2016 and the Uttarakhand government plans to raise the contingency fund (of last Finance Commission) amounting to Rs 5 crore, of which some amount would be spent on improving the jails.

The department also plans to install CCTV cameras in places where these have not been installed so far. High perimeter walls and barbed wires will also be put up around the jail walls.

The Central government has not allocated separate budget for the modernisation of jails, the state government is now planning to utilise the funds that it will receive from the Centre for carrying out modernisation of the Police Department.

“Providing mobility to police personnel by increasing the procurement of vehicles, new weapons and overall training will help us in our endeavour in improving the security of our jails,” said a senior official of the Department of Home.