Videoconferencing in all Punjab prisons, staff vacancies being filled: State to HC

Just about a month after the trial courts across Punjab were directed to use videoconferencing as far as possible, especially in the case of high-risk prisoners, the Punjab and Haryana High Court was on Monday told that at the facility was available in all the jails in the State. The Division Bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Deepak Manchanda was also told that “various posts of jail staff have been filled while the process is on for filling up other posts”.  

As a suo motu case on enhancing jails’ security came up for resumed hearing, information to this effect was furnished by State chief secretary KAP Sinha after appearing before the Bench through videoconferencing. He told the court that significant progress had been made to augment the security of jails in the State.

The Bench, on the previous date of hearing, had directed the trial courts to use this facility “as much as possible especially in the case of high risk prisoners as it not only spares the police personnel who are to be put on security duty but save sizeable public expenditure”.

The developments are significant as the Bench was initially told that the State was facing a crippling shortage of 1,826 jail officials. Punjab, on a subsequent date of hearing, had told the court that it had obtained in-principle approval for the recruitment of about 500 personnel.

The Bench has already been told that the State has initiated a sweeping overhaul of prison security infrastructure, which includes the installation of AI-based CCTV surveillance systems in jails and deployment of e-bikes for internal mobility and surveillance enhancement. The matter is now scheduled to be taken up on August 28.