The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : It’s a day of democracy in circle jail

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Monday, Mar 24, 2008
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It’s a day of democracy in circle jail

Staff Reporter

Elections held to choose five-member panchayat council

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Unique experiment: Inmates of Berhampur Circle Jail standing in a queue to exercise their franchise to elect the representative to the managing body of convicts to help jail administration in day-to-day affair in Berhampur on Sunday. —

BERHAMPUR: This Sunday was the day of democracy inside the Berhampur circle jail. Elections were held through secrete ballot for a five-member panchayat council of the inmates of the jail.

This election is held every year in the jail to elect five inmates who would assist the jail authorities in the management of day to day affairs inside the jail.

These five elected members will look after five sectors like food, sanitation, health, entertainment and discipline inside the jail.

They change their responsibilities among themselves for every two months.

10 nominees in fray

This time there were 10 candidates in fray for the election to five posts.

The election was held under strict supervision of Jail Superintendent Bankim Chandra Mohanty and other staff of the jail.

The candidates were contesting through different symbols and they also had placards with their symbols on them.

As per jail officials the election process had started almost 15 days ago and the candidates were provided some time every day to interact with the other inmates for their campaign.

The convicted prisoners as well as the undertrials lodged inside the jail were eligible to vote.

Even there was much enthusiasm among the female inmates of the jail to vote for the jail panchayat.

But no female prisoner had contested the polls in jail.

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