THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said no mercy would be shown towards jail officials who resort to custodial torture or grave human rights violation.
The Chief Minister's warning comes in the wake of the custodial torture death of Rajkumar in Nedumkandam. He said those indulging in human rights violation will face stringent action. However, those who are ready to rectify their mistakes will be given chance to reform themselves.
The Chief Minister said if unlawful activities are found in jails, which should function as reformation centres, strict action will be taken against those responsible for such acts. He was inaugurating the Palakkad District Jail.
Mr Vijayan said the officials who were aiding or abetting any kind of illegal activities inside jails would not get any kind of protection from the government. It is the responsibility of the jail officers to bring the convicts back to normal life by through reformation process. Apart from being centres to serve the entire term of sentence, the prisons should turn into centres of reformation .
The Chief Minister said the jail officials required to acquire skills for psychological counselling. Instead of making convicts guilty conscious about the crimes committed by them, the officials should lead by example taking up measures that convert the convicts into good human beings.
He said as part of the modernization of the jails, the first phase of work for linking courts with prisons will begin next month. The 54 jails across the state will be linked with courts at a cost of Rs 24 crores.
Tetro communication network would be established in important jails at a cost of Rs 2.29 crore. The work in connection with the project is progressing with the assistance of Central Telecommunication Department. With the implementation of the project, the jail officials will be able to carry out information and communication related activities in more effective manner. The project is likely to be completed by October.
CCTV cameras will be installed in all jails at a cost of Rs 4.60 crore as part of the plan to beef up security. Indiscipline will not be allowed in the name of human rights, the Chief Minister said emphasising that jails are centres to protect human rights. Since the LDF Government came to power, Rs 17.25 crore had been spent for welfare of prisoners and Rs 38.50 crore for the modernisation of jails. Besides, mobile jammers, body scanners and linear emission detectors have been installed to enhance security..
