Punjab begins prison security overhaul; approval granted for recruitment of 500 jail staff

Facing a crippling shortage of 1,826 jail officials, Punjab has obtained in-principle approval for the recruitment of about 500 personnel. A requisition in this regard is to be sent to the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board within a month.

Information to this effect was furnished before the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the resumed hearing of a suo motu case on enhancing jails’ security. As the matter came up for resumed hearing, the Bench was also told that the State had initiated a sweeping overhaul of prison security infrastructure, which included the installation of AI-based CCTV surveillance systems in 14 jails and deployment of 57 e-bikes for internal mobility and surveillance enhancement.

At the onset, an affidavit by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha was placed before the Division Bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Deepak Manchanda in compliance with the court’s earlier direction dated April 24.

Outlining multiple steps being taken to reinforce security and bridge manpower gaps within the jail administration. Sinha submitted that the State had sought temporary deployment of additional personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO), Punjab Home Guards, Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), Quick Response Teams (QRT), and the Punjab Police. “However, in view of the prevalent security situation, the process is likely to take some time as the security forces are engaged in internal security duties,” the Bench was told.

He added a major equipment upgrade was underway across jails, with security installations either complete or in progress. The affidavit stated that, apart from the AI-based surveillance and deployment of e-bikes, the equipment being installed included 295 CCTV cameras, 90 body-worn cameras, 16 under-vehicle search mirrors, 110 anti-riot kits, 16 e-carts, 16 small tunnel-size X-ray baggage machines, three large tunnel-size machines, live wire fencing in 23 jails, and wire mesh barriers in the high-security zones of four prisons.

The affidavit also mentioned that approval for installation of V-Kavach jammers — a technological measure aimed at curbing illegal communications within jails — stood granted by the Cabinet in its meeting held on May 9.

The Bench noted that timelines for implementing the measures had been set out. But these timelines would only take effect from the date of administrative approval. The Bench, accordingly, directed the Chief Secretary to file a fresh affidavit by the next date of hearing, clearly indicating the stage of the approval process and ensuring that proposals were sent without further delay. The court further directed that revised timelines for implementation be incorporated in the upcoming affidavit. The matter is now scheduled to be taken up on May 28.

Punjab