Engineers want to be jail warder, dept in a fix

Aman Sood
Tribune News Service
Patiala, November 12

More than 57,000 aspirants, including graduates, postgraduates and engineers, have applied for 267 posts of jail warder in Punjab. The post, equal to that of constable, requires managing gangsters and hardened criminals lodged in jails.

As many as 20,000 graduates and 22,000 postgraduates have applied for the post, as per the initial data compiled by the department. Also, there are 17,000 applicants with “other” qualifications. The minimum educational qualification for the post, in the pay band of Rs 10,300-Rs 34,800, excluding allowances, is intermediate (Class XII). 

With highly qualified candidates shortlisted after clearing the physical test, the top brass is in a dilemma. “Over-qualified for the job, we cannot expect these men and women to use force to enforce discipline. Already, we are facing problems with the recently recruited constables in the Punjab Police deputed for law and order,” remarked an official. 

To “adequately prepare” the new recruits for jail duty, the authorities have decided to extend their training by six months. 

“Initially, the training was for three months but following inter-department discussions, we have decided on a nine-month training period for all warders”, said a top officer.

The department is short of 11,00 warders who are put on security duty inside jails and are responsible for imposing discipline and carrying out searches in the barracks. “Owing to the shortage, we are unable to run the newly built jails in Bathinda and Muktsar. More posts of warder, at least 700, will be filled shortly”, said Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.