MUMBAI: Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Monday said in the Legislative Assembly that to avoid infection among jail inmates in Yerwada Jail, the government has proposed eight new barracks for the inmates. The sick prisoners would be kept in separate barracks and regular medical check-up done there.
MLAs Bhim Rao Tapkir, Rahul Kool and Sunil Prabhu raised the question in the Legislative Council. Replying to the question, Deshmukh said that in Yerwada jail, there is not sufficient space for the prisoners. Hence work on setting up two barracks has been completed. RCC work of three more barracks is in progress and the remaining will be completed soon.
“The minimum ground space per inmate is 1.17 to 1.19 square metre for sleeping as against the average minimum ground space of 3.71 square metre set as a standard requirement, according to Maharashtra Prisons (Prison Buildings and Sanitary Arrangements) Rules, 1964,” said Kool.
“The lack of sleeping space per inmate was highlighted in the audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for the year ended March 2018,” he added.
“Due to lack of space, the prisoners had skin diseases and other infections. About 2,193 prisoners are infected in the jail,” he said.
He demanded to know what measures had been taken by the government over the pathetic conditions in the jails.
Deshmukh said the Yerwada Jail has a capacity of 2,449 prisoners, but there are 5,800 prisoners there. To accommodate more prisoners the government has proposed construction of eight more barracks. “Work of two barracks has been completed and work on three barracks in on going. Remaining three barracks will be constructed soon,” he said.
“There are regular check-ups of prisoners. Four medical officers, one psychologist and one laboratory technician are working for the prisoners. There is a separate barrack for those having skin diseases,” Deshmukh said.
According to the data, the Yerawada Jail has 60 authorized barracks. The actual number of occupants per barrack is 190 and there are 130 extra occupants.
