MUMBAI: Taking Maharashtra government to task, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) said the problem of over crowding of prisons was severe.
The CAG said the average occupancy was put at 147 percent of their capacities and the position was very severe in 12 prisons.
The CAG expressed concern over the ways of functioning of prisons in Maharashtra and rapped the Inspector General of Police located in Pune for not carrying out inspections regularly.
It further in its report said that the average occupancy rate of 147 percent was derived from the capacities recorded during the period of 2003-07.
Detailed analysis of prison-wise position reveals that the position was severe in 12 prisons — Mumbai and Thane central prisons and district prisons at Chandrapur, Nanded, Wardha, Solapur, Kalyan, Byculla, Alibaug, Buldhana, Parbhani and Ahmednagar — where occupancy rates ranged from 157 to 402 percent.
In the same period, the average occupancy rates in district prisons at Akola, Sawantwadi and Visapur, special jail at Ratnagiri, J.J. Hospital prison and Borstal School at Nashik ranged from 10 percent to 64 percent, the CAG said in its report year ended March 31, 2008.
The CAG observed: “Over-crowding in prisons resulted in denial of the required ground, air and lateral ventilation spaces to the prisoners. It also put pressure on utilities such as water supply and sewerage systems. The workload of security staff also increased, hampering their ability to control crime and violence in the prisons.” The CAG also expressed concern over the high-rise buildings coming up around Arthur Road prison where Ajmal Qasab, the lone Pakistani gun man captured during last year’s Mumbai attacks is lodged.
here and the 26/11 trial is also being held inside the prison. It points out that construction work is yet to be stopped of the building under SRA scheme despite request by prison authorities to Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)
The report further points out: “......a large number of works relating to improvement of prison infrastructure were not completed, inspections of the prisons were not carried out regularly by the IGP and the internal audit of 42 units was pending for periods ranging up to 35 years.” It also reveals that modern security equipments like closed circuit televisions; hand and door metal detectors were not installed in prisons. Pointing out shortcomings in maintaining cashbooks, it pointed out that in the office of IGP-Pune, certificates of verification of cash balances were not recorded since April 2005 - On staff strength across the state, it said that as against 3,782 sanctioned posts of security staff , 587 posts - 16 per cent - were lying vacant as of March 31, 2008. To supplement the argument it pointed out: “Scrutiny of records at IGP’s office revealed that there were 125 cases of recovery of prohibited items in 26 prisons during 2004-07. Of these, 46 cases pertained to narcotics, liquor, mobile phones and cash.”
In another development, the state government on Saturday late evening replaced the Nashik police commissioner VD Mishra, hardly after he had been in his post for two months and released him on federal government service. Thane joint police commissioner Vinod Lokhande was named as the new Nashik police commissioner.
The leaders of the Shiv Sena and BJP parties protested the sudden transfer of Mishra, stating that the transfer was politically motivated as Mishra has acted tough against criminals and anti-social elements. They demanded that the government rescind the transfer of Mishra, failing which they would organize agitations against the government.
