Raj HM to jail authorities: procure grocery from govt agencies

Expressing serious concern on the quality of grocery items used in kitchen of jails, Rajasthan Home Minister G C Kataria today directed prison authorities to make arrangements to procure food commodities from state agencies instead of private contractors.
To arrange good and pure quality food commodities for prison inmates, the jail administration should consult and take support of the state agencies instead of regular outside contractors, Kataria told jail administrators during a review meeting held here.
This system be adopted on pilot basis at one or two jails, and if successful then could be implemented across prisons in the state, the Home Minister said.

There was a proposal to have fixed time for meeting inmates and undertrials so that their relatives should not have to wait for long outside the jails, Kataria said.
He added that waiting rooms would also be set up to provide them with a meeting point inside jails.
Kataria also instructed officials that overloaded prisons be examined and excess inmates be shifted to other jails having space for their livelihood and work.

So far 1,500 prisoners have been shifted to other prisons in the state, and process to prisoners from Udaipur Central jail would be shifted to other places to ease the load, he said.

As against a capacity of 18,282 prisoners in the state jails, there were 18,961 inmates, the Home Minister said, adding new barracks were also being constructed to accommodate prisoners and undertrials.
He also assured that pending promotions of officers and employees in jail department would be taken up on priority.
Apprising the Home Minister, DGP (Jail) Ajit Singh said there was extra land space where the new barracks could be constructed in some jails. Installation of jammers was under process in jails, DGP said, adding while their testing was underway at Ajmer, Bikaner and Jaipur.
10 new vehicles were also being purchased for commutation of inmates to the courts, the DGP said.