BANGALORE: The Centre has shown keen interest in a proposal by the State's Department of Prisons to set up an exclusive force to man prisons.

Officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs last week requested Additional Director-General of Police (Prisons) S.T. Ramesh to provide more details on the exclusive force, which he had suggested as a dedicated organisation to provide foolproof perimeter security.

Mr. Ramesh had gone to Delhi to discuss the budgetary allocation for the department, and when he was asked for suggestions on prison reforms, he suggested the creation of a force under the administrative control of the prison chief.

Functions

Tentatively labelled the Prison Protection Force, it will act as a highly trained and sophisticated wing of the Department of Prisons and take care of any eventuality, including prison breaks and terrorist attacks.

The Ministry officials were impressed with the proposal and sought more details from the department.

Mr. Ramesh told The Hindu that the idea of setting up such a force took shape following the escape of several prisoners from the Jehanabad jail last year. The recent incidents of terrorist attacks on vital installations and at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, the train blasts in Mumbai and other subversive attacks forced the jail authorities to think of a separate force for prison security.

The proposal has been submitted to the State Government. The force will have handpicked personnel who will be specially trained. It will be initially deployed in the Central prisons and later extended to other prisons.

Mr. Ramesh clarified that the force is meant to be deployed for perimeter security. Now, the City and District Armed Reserve look after perimeter security. There will not be any change in internal security in the prisons, which will continue to be under the supervision of prison guards and warders. The constitution of the force is expected to cost Rs. 3 crore.

Other proposals

Other proposals put forward by Mr. Ramesh at the meeting are the appointment of legal officers in all prisons and also counsellors. Mr. Ramesh says legal officers are needed since the department has to deal with a lot of legal issues and prison officials are not trained in law.

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