Amid overcrowded jails, Muktsar prison remains underutilised

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, March 29

While most of the jails in the state are overcrowded, the number of inmates in the Muktsar district jail is almost half its capacity.

This jail can lodge 800 male inmates, but presently it houses 440 inmates, including 190 undertrials and 250 convicts. Besides, the jail has a capacity to lodge 100 women inmates, but presently it has none. Besides, no woman cop has been posted in the jail to date.

Notably, Muktsar earlier had a sub-jail on the Kotkapura road and it was upgraded to district jail and shifted to Bura Gujjar village last year. The new building has been constructed at the cost of about Rs 78 crore.

When contacted, Kamalpreet Singh, Superintendent, District Jail, Muktsar, said, “We are about to get more staff to house more inmates here. Presently, the jail is housing inmates half its capacity of 900. Once we get the staff, the inmates too will be sent here from other jails. Presently, we are housing nearly 200 inmates of Fazilka here. Nearly 30-40 inmates have gone on leave.”

He added, “We have 20 barracks and six of them are lying non-functional due to the shortage of staff. We have the staff of nearly 80 persons.”

He, however, did not divulge details about the total staff required for the district jail.

Sources said the jail had all other infrastructure required to house more inmates, except for the staff.