Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court has taken a stern view of the delay in filling vacant posts in the state’s jails, with a bench headed by Chief Justice M.S. Sonak issuing a show-cause notice to the JSSC Secretary and the Home Secretary for failing to comply with its order, and asking why contempt action should not be initiated against them.
Court Refuses Six More Weeks, Seeks Reply in a Week
The officials have been asked to respond within one week. The court rejected the six weeks’ time sought by the government and dismissed its intervention application (IA). It also turned down JSSC’s request for additional time. Mohammad Shahabuddin appeared for the government, and advocates Sanjay Piparwal and Prince Kumar for JSSC. The next hearing on the show-cause notice is fixed for October 26, while December 15 has been set as the next date for compliance of the order.
JSSC Says It Is Awaiting Physical Test List from Government
JSSC counsel Sanjay Piparwal told the court that in the recruitment of assistant jailers and jail wardens, the commission can proceed only after the government provides the list of candidates who have qualified for the physical test. The government has not yet supplied this list.
Background: Jails Over 81 Percent Short-Staffed
Earlier, the bench had directed the state government and JSSC to fill the vacant jail posts within six months, and on April 1 it had given the government six months to do so. On Thursday, during the hearing of the suo motu PIL on jail reforms and the Model Prison Manual, the state and JSSC said the process was under way, with advertisements issued for posts including assistant jailer, jail warder and medical nursing staff, and requisitions sought for other posts. The bench had been told that over 81 percent of posts in the state’s jails are vacant.
