LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has given in-principle approval for recruitment of 4662 watch and ward officials of the Prisons Department and announced providing 22 ambulances for sick prisoners’ shifting to hospitals.
While chairing a meeting to review the pace of jail reforms, he announced establishing the Punjab Prisons Staff Training College in Sahiwal, along with the construction of additional barracks in 10 different jails.
Minister for Prisons Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chohan, Additional chief secretary (ACS-Home), inspector general of police (IGP) prisons and others also attended the meeting.
He ordered for setting up more public call offices (PCOs) to help prisoners contact their families and added that juvenile offenders and impecunious prisoners would be provided with the facility free of cost.
Meanwhile, the Akhuwat Foundation would provide loans to officials of the Prisons Department for building houses.
While directing for accelerating solarisation of jails, the CM emphasised ensuring availability of quality items at jails canteens at DC rates and made it clear that the jail superintendent would be prosecuted over complaints of overcharging or substandard items.
Alongside, the CM said that lawyer facilitation centres would be set up in 42 jails and ordered that TVs, geysers, water-coolers and fans should be functional and recruitment of doctors and paramedics be completed without delay.
The prisons department minister apprised that payments were being given to prisoners engaged in sewing tracksuits and footballs.