Srinagar, Mar 6: Jammu and Kashmir administration has set the ball rolling for the construction of high-security prison in district Kathua of Jammu province by ordering the transfer of over 300 kanals of land to the Prisons Department. Officials informed that the Revenue department has transferred the land following the green signal by the Administrative Council in February.
Commissioner Secretary Revenue Department, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri has issued an order formalising the transfer of land parcels for the establishment of a high-security prison at Kathua.
“…sanction is hereby accorded to transfer of Shamilat Deh (Mehfooz Kahcharie) land measuring 148 Kanai under Khasra No. 427 min (108 Kanai 01 Marla) and Khasra No. 486 min (39 Kanai 19 Marla) at village Dambra, Tehsil Mahanpur, District Kathua in favour of Prisons Department, J&K for construction of High-Security Prison. The land shall be used only for the purpose for which the sanction of transfer has been accorded and all other permissions as may be required for its construction be obtained from the Competent Authority.”
“Transfer of State land measuring 160 Kanai 04 Marla under Khasra No. 1873 (73 Kanai 02 Marla), Khasra No. 2597/2325 (78 Ka.ial) and Khasra No. 2598/2325 (09 Kanai 02 Marla) situated at village Dambra, Tehsil Mahanpur, District Kathua as Shamilat Deh (Mehfooz Kacharie) in lieu of the land transferred for High-security prison,” the order reads. As per the official spokesperson, the need for the construction of a high-security prison was “felt to lodge treasonous and insurgent criminals aims at meeting the security requirements of the region and strengthening the national security.”
As per the details shared on its official website, the Jammu and Kashmir Prisons Department is entrusted with the responsibility of providing correctional services to the inmates in an environment conducive to reformation. At present, there are 13 functional prisons which include 2 central jails, 9 district jails, 1 special jail and 1 sub-jail. The jail at Poonch is under construction which will accommodate 200 inmates.
“Against a lodging capacity of 3246 inmates, the department is accommodating more than 4300 inmates. Besides, the department has recently inaugurated its training centre- Institute of Correctional Services at Mishriwala which provides training related to prison management (basic training & refreshers).”
“The Prison department has been able to implement correctional programmes which include educational and vocational training, recreational programmes, psychiatric consultation etc. Prison manufactured products are put up for sale at the department’s retail outlet ‘Sudhar Bikri Kendra’ at Jammu and in various exhibitions/melas. Wages, as fixed by the government, go to the prisoners’ account directly, thereby enabling them to earn a livelihood while serving the sentence. Convicted prisoners are prematurely released on Independence Day and Republic Day after approval of competent authority,” the official website reveals.