Minister lauds prisons dept performance

LAHORE:Provincial Minister for Prisons Zawar Hussain Warraich while reviewing two years’ performance of Punjab Prisons Department said that Rs30 million each have been reserved for the construction of courtrooms at nine jails and additional barracks to accommodate 10,000 prisoners of 13 Jails on the orders of the chief minister.

Vocational training of 16,095 prisoners has completed with the help of Tevta. Timely actions were taken against pandemic COVID-19 by Punjab government. He said 1,717 prisoners were released after payment of fines, Diyat, Daman and Arsh, etc. amounting to Rs316.33 million by the government and philanthropists.

The provincial minister said that new Lodhran District Jail has been made functional. Ninety-six per cent work of Punjab Prisons Staff Training College in Sahiwal have been completed. He said 100-bed hospital in Lahore District Jail and PCO booths in all the jails have been established. Literacy centres have been set up in all the jails for the prisoners and libraries in 32 jails of Punjab have been upgraded. The Offenders Management Information System (OMIS) for effective monitoring/supervision of the offenders on probation and parole is being developed. Rates of articles sold at the jail canteens have been displayed both inside and outside of the jails. Branches of Utility Stores Corporations are being established in all jails. The provincial minister for prisons said that bank cash counters are being set up in all the jails following the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan.