Inform reasons for delay in filling vacant posts in jails: HC

The HP High Court has directed the Secretary (Home), Secretary to the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog, Hamirpur, and the president of the Ex-Servicemen Employment Cell to file their respective affidavit(s) informing therein the reasons for delay in filling up the vacant posts in the jails of the state.

This order was passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting the plight of the jails in the state.

The court passed this order after perusing the affidavit filed by the Additional Director General, Prisons & Correctional Services, Himachal Pradesh, informing therein that out of 781 posts sanctioned in the jails of Himachal Pradesh, 124 posts of different categories are lying vacant. It further reveals that out of the four sanctioned posts of Medical Officer, two posts are vacant and as per the communication issued on July 11, 2025, an interim arrangement has been made to depute two Medical Officers for two days in a week in Community Health Centre, Mashobra, Shimla district, Model Central Jail, Kanda, Shimla and Open Air Jail, Bilaspur by the Secretary (Health & Family Welfare).

After perusing the same, the court observed, “A perusal of the chart of the jail inmates given in the said affidavit would go on to show that there are 515 occupants in Model Central Jail, Kanda (Shimla), and 224 occupants in Open Air Jail, Bilaspur. Hence, there is a need as such to fill the posts of Officers on regular basis, rather than posting them on deputation.”

It was further revealed that out of 12 sanctioned posts of Head Warder (Female), four are lying vacant and out of 479 posts of Warder (Male), 58 posts are lying vacant due to lack of promotion. Similarly, out of 37 sanctioned posts of Warder (Female), two posts are lying vacant, for which the recruitment process is going on. The matter regarding filling up one post each of Social Worker (Male) and Social Worker (Female), is under consideration with the Home Department, Government of Himachal Pradesh. The court listed the matter for further hearing on October 6.