Delhi L-G blames govt for delay in constitution of prison board

Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena expressed displeasure over the prolonged delay in constituting the Board of Visitors under the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, accusing the Delhi Government of “callousness” and a “lack of seriousness” regarding the matter, officials said on Monday.

In a detailed note sent to Chief Minister Atishi, Saxena highlighted the significance of the Board of Visitors, which plays a crucial role in providing independent feedback to prison authorities about health, hygiene, security, and other basic facilities in the Capital jails.

The board also serves as a platform for prisoners and convicts to voice grievances and receive necessary redressal. Despite a 2019 Delhi High Court directive to constitute the board within 12 weeks, the matter has been pending for five years. The L-G also criticised the previous Home Minister of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi for the delay.

Saxena said although the High Court had ordered the board’s constitution by January 2020, the proposal was only cleared by the then Home Minister a year later, in September 2020. The delay, he said, was compounded by the GNCTD’s failure to process the file for the L-G’s approval in a timely manner.