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Jails in UP to come under Home Department

Special Correspondent

It will strengthen administration of jails, says CM

Photo: Subir Roy

In deep thought: Chief Minister Mayawati with Satish Chandra Mishra at a press conference in Lucknow on Wednesday.

LUCKNOW: The administrative control of the jails in Uttar Pradesh will now be under the State Home Department with the Principal Secretary ( Home) acting as the head of the department.

Making this announcement in the State Assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister Mayawati said the decision had been taken with the objective of strengthening the administration of jails.

Among other decisions, the Chief Minister said, was posting some IPS officers of the rank of DIG in select jails and, if need be, creating the posts of IG and ADG (Additional Director-General ) of jails. IPS officers would be appointed to these posts.

According to the jail manual, an IAS officer holds the post of IG (Prisons).

These far-reaching changes followed the recent violence and arson in Sultanpur jail which claimed the lives of six persons, including two jail wardens, and clashes between the jail staff and prisoners in Meerut and Ghazipur jails.

Ms. Mayawati said the violence in Sultanpur on June 25 was premeditated by the inmates with the intention to kill the jail superintendent (R. K. Mishra). She said she had despatched the Director-General of Police, Vikram Singh, to Sultanpur for conducting a probe and the decisions were based on the findings of the inquiry report.

The Chief Minister said the jail infrastructure would be upgraded along with a high-tech system for keeping a watch on the activities of criminals. Financial allocation would be made for the same, she said.

At a press conference later, Ms. Mayawati reiterated her Government’s commitment to smash the network of criminals and put an end to the activities of criminals undertaken from jails. The Chief Minister declared that regular raids on jails would be conducted under the supervision of district magistrates and SPs.

Meanwhile, the inquiry into the food grains scandal in 28 districts in the years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 under the Sampoorn Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) and Public Distribution System (PDS) has been handed over to the Special Investigation Team (SIT). Ms. Mayawati said the probe would be completed within three months, adding that the role of transport contractors in the scam would also be probed by the SIT.

The Chief Minister said diversion of food grains meant for distribution under the two schemes and their black marketing would form the terms of reference of the probe.

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