HC seeks status report from Delhi govt on pending vacancies in jails

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Government of NCT Delhi (GNCTD) and the Director-General, Prisons on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction to fill vacancies of medical officers, paramedical staff, welfare officers, counselors, teachers for education, yoga teachers and education vocational counselors and other pending vacancies in Delhi jails.

The bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla today issued notice to Delhi Government and DG Prison on a petition filed by lawyer and activist Amit Sahni for filling pending vacancies in Delhi jails.

Delhi Government has been directed to file a status report regarding sanctioned strength and pending vacancies. Meanwhile, the court has also directed the respondents to initiate the process of recruitment of pending vacancies.

Petitioner Amit Sahni, lawyer cum activist also sought directions to the Government of NCT Delhi and DG Prisons to constitute and notify the Board of Visitors, Service Board, State Advisory Board, Prison Development Board, and Forum for Prison Staff, as provided in the Delhi Prison Act 2000 and Delhi Prison Rules 2018, in the larger interest of prisoners lodged in Delhi jails as well as in the interest of Delhi Prison administration.

The plea also stated that the Board of Visitors has already been constituted on September 13, 2019, but the same is not notified for the reasons best known to the respondents.

Rule 1638 of Delhi Prison Rules, 2018 provides that there will be two tiers of visitors for the Prisons i.e. State Level Visitors and Board of Visitors. Further Rules 1638 to 1672 of Delhi Prison Rules, 2018 provide for the constitution, working, and functioning of the Board of Visitors, stated the plea.

There is an acute shortage of prison staff in general and particularly all posts of educational, correctional staff, psychiatric social workers, and psychologists are lying vacant for a long.

The respondents are duty-bound to take adequate steps not only for the welfare of the prisoners but for the well-being of the prison staff as well. The shortage of prison staff is a reason for inadequate management of Delhi Jails and many times the same leads to violence upon the errant inmates by the Jail Staff, said the plea.

Out of 46 deaths in Delhi Jails in 2019, 35 had died of natural deaths, while investigation is pending in at least 11 cases.

Further in 2018, there were 33 natural deaths and 8 unnatural deaths, according to the NCRB data, which is yet to release prison records data for 2020.

"The recommendations of the All India Committee on Prison Reforms (Mulla Committee 1980-83) constituted for the issues of prisons administration in the Country and which were followed by the Model Prison Manual formulated by the Government of India, have not been followed in Delhi Jails and more particularly regarding recruitment of pending vacancies, training to Superintendents and other staff, the grievance of staff and their promotions etc," the plea read.

( With inputs from ANI )