Shillong Jail

Shillong, Nov. 4: The paucity of funds has delayed the modernisation of the jail administration in Meghalaya, the proposal for which was put forward before the government after the May 31 Shillong jailbreak.

On October 22, there was another attempt by 13 prisoners to escape from Tura Jail, which was foiled by homeguards.

The prisoners tried to escape when they were taken out to collect firewood from the jail premises.

Tura Jail is yet to introduce LPG to cook food because of lack of funds.

A proposal was earlier sent to the government by the home (jail) department following the May 31 Shillong jailbreak to abolish the practice of cooking food with firewood, which is illegal according to the jail manual.

The director-general (prisons), Kulbir Krishan, told The Telegraph today that the department could not carry on with the modernisation process because of paucity of funds.

“Look at a simple project like shifting to LPG for cooking food in jails in Meghalaya. For this, the expenditure would have come to hardly around Rs 4 lakh per jail, but the government does not have the money,” Krishan said.

After taking charge as DG (prisons) in May this year, Krishan introduced the use of LPG in Shillong Jail.

Besides Tura, the jails in Jowai and Williamnagar are yet to follow the system because of the funds crunch.

Krishan added that the suppliers of ration to the jails also expressed displeasure that the government had not cleared their pending bills.

Soon after the Shillong jailbreak, the home (jail) department submitted a proposal to upgrade the jail to the government but in vain.

The proposal includes the installation of alarm bells, electronic sliding gates and CCTVs, metal detectors and construction of separate cells or barracks for hardcore criminals, among other measures.

The introduction of uniforms for the prisoners and jail warders was also proposed.

The department needs more than Rs 1 crore to implement the proposal.

According to Krishan, the budget allocation for jail administration in 2009-10 was Rs 1 crore less than last year’s budget allocation, making it difficult to carry on with the overall improvement.

During the budget presentation for 2009-10, deputy chief minister in-charge, finance, Mukul Sangma, announced in June that the improvement of security system, purchase of vehicles and uniforms and strengthening of manpower in various categories in the headquarters and district offices was a priority of the government.

Sangma said the construction of jails at Nongstoin and Nongpoh was taken up under the centrally sponsored schemes to modernise the prisons.

He added that steps would be taken to improve the living conditions of inmates and to strengthen the security system in a modern, efficient and professional manner.