‘Poor security in state jails, warders not fully trained ’

CHANDIGARH: Jails in Haryana are poorly equipped as far as arms and ammunitions for warders and jail officials are concerned. Also, the warders are not fully trained to handle firearms as they lacked in target practice.

This is bound to have an adverse impact on the security of jails, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has said while conducting a performance audit of the jails in the state.

In test check of eight jails conducted by the CAG for 2016-17, it was found that there was 70% shortage in terms of availability of pistols and revolvers, and 38% shortage of rifles and guns in the jails.

The Punjab jail manual prescribed that every warder shall be provided with military breech loading fire arms and buckshot ammunition. “About 40 rounds ball, 50 rounds blank and 30 rounds of buckshot (different kinds of ammunitions) were required to be allotted to individual officials.

However, there was a 57% shortage of ball ammunition, 51% shortage of blank and 10% shortage of buckshot ammunition,’’ the auditors said.

Also, the warders were not fully trained to handle securityrelated exigencies as target practice for them had not been arranged even once between 2012-2016.

Rules provide that all warders should get target practice of 15 rounds on annual basis for handling firearms.

The director general (prisons) during the exit conference said that norms of arms and ammunition were on the higher side. “The reply was not acceptable since the norms as per Punjab jail manual would need to be followed till it is re-visited and amended,’’ the CAG said.

CAG SAYS JAILS ARE POORLY EQUIPPED AS FAR AS ARMS AND AMMUNITIONS FOR WARDERS AND JAIL OFFICIALS ARE CONCERNED

PUTTING HEALTH OF PRISONERS IN DANGER

The audit found that in Narnaul district jail, prisoners suffering from tuberculosis were kept with other prisoners from 2012 to 2016 despite the directions of the DG, prisons, to keep inmates suffering from contagious diseases separately. “This put the health of other inmates in danger. The jail superintendent in his reply said that due to nonavailability of additional space in jail, inmates suffering from tuberculosis could not be kept in separate wards,’’ the audit report said.

NON-FUNCTIONAL WALKIE-TALKIE SETS

The auditors found that a large number of 200 walkie-talkie sets, bought by the office of DG, prisons, to ensure better connectivity between the security staff were non-functional. The sets were purchased in 2011 for Rs 33.20 lakhs. “In seven jails checked, 77 sets had become non functional, affecting internal communication between security staff,’’ the CAG said.