Govt will curb illegal activities in jails, says Sidhu

AMRITSAR: Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday said the state government will soon curb illegal activities in jails, including the use of mobile phones by inmates.

His statement comes in the wake of frequent instances of gangsters posting their videos on social media from jails and the recovery of mobile phones from prisoners.

Addressing the media here, Sidhu said, “CM Amarinder Sing his aware of this men ace. We need jam me rs for jails. It will cost around Rs 10 crore to install jammers in a jail. We have to accord priority to this issue. The CM himself had a four-hour meeting with the state police on the ways to tackle criminal activities.”

He, however, pointed out that the police are struggling with shortage of staff to manage the menace in the jails

The minister was here to congratulate the state police for the major breakthrough in the murder cases pertaining to leaders of right-wing outfits in Punjab.

“I congratulate police for restoring faith of the people in the system. The CM has given the police an absolute free hand and the police have done a tremendous job in nailing the dreaded criminals. The overall crime rate hasdipped in the state,whichisa major success of the police,” he added.

The minister said CCTV cameras will be installed at alternate houses in key areas in Amritsar. The state government will fund the scheme.

Meanwhile, inspector general (b order zone)Su rind er Pal Singh Parmar said the major reason behind the recent police success is that there is no political interference.

He appreciated the proposal of the state government to en act the Punjab Control of Organised Crime Act (PCOCA) to crack down on gangsters in the state.