LAHORE, Dec 21 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Tuesday chaired a meeting at his office to review progress on the prison reforms package and directed to expedite the implementation, besides starting the recruitment process against vacant posts in jails without delay while ensuring merit.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Prisons Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chohan, SACM Hasaan Khawar, Chief Secretary, ACS (Home) and administrative secretaries.
Talking on the occasion, the CM said no attention was paid in the past for providing facilities to prisoners. Similarly, medical officers should be recruited for jails hospitals without delay. The medical officers would be given a separate cadre, besides the provision of special allowance, he added. A step-motherly treatment was meted out with the captives in past however the PTI-led government had given them rights and approved Rs500 million to provide a balanced diet to them, he noted.
Similarly, the jail foundation’s funds should be utilised for the welfare of the detainees and availability of items be ensured at canteens at fixed rates, he added.
The CM instructed the participants to devise a feasible mechanism for providing necessary legal aid to inmates of minor penalties for giving relief to them. Alongside, construction of new barracks in jails be expedited and installation of water geysers be completed early, he further said and recommended to increase the telephone calls’ duration for prisoners.
Similarly, he directed that prisoners should be given market-based rates for their work. A feasible strategy should be devised for arranging prisoners’ meetings with their relatives so that the complaints of extortion could be eradicated, he instructed.
The CM emphasised that no complaint should arise with regard to the provision of necessary items to the detainees and made it clear that immediate action would be taken in case of any complaint of fleecing.
While announcing to hold a fortnightly meeting to review progress, the CM said that the draft of the Prison and Prisoner Act, 2021 would be presented before the cabinet for final approval soon.
Similarly, the draft of Juvenile Justice System Rules, 2021 had also been devised, he said and concluded that a prison complex would also be built in Lahore.
Provincial Minister Fayyaz-ul Hasan Chohan appreciated steps taken for the welfare and protection of the rights of prisoners in the tenure of CM Usman Buzdar along with the welfare of the jail department officials.
The chief minister was briefed by IG Prisons that prisoners have been provided with the facility to watch eight to 40 channels through cable TV. The networking of cable TV had been completed in 29 jails along with the repair of 2,889 washrooms and the construction of 250 new toilets in jails.
Prisoners are also allowed to arrange pillows and mattresses from their homes and central jails in Mianwali, Faisalabad and DG Khan were being converted to solar energy. Rs150 million were earmarked for this purpose. Additional barracks were being constructed in nine jails and medical camps are held in every jail twice a month, he added.
