HC seeks govt stand on plea to fill vacant posts across Delhi's jails

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday sought the stand of the Delhi government and Director General Prisons on a PIL to fill up various vacant posts in jails here and asked the authorities to initiate the process of recruitment.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla issued notice on the plea by a lawyer and sought a status report from the respondents concerning the sanctioned strength and status of vacancies in prisons.

The respondents must immediately initiate the process of filling vacancies, if not already initiated, and expedite the process, the court said.

"This appears to be a grave deficiency. You file a status report," a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla told the counsel appearing for the Respondent on advance notice, legal news website Live Law reported.

Advocate Amit Sahni claimed that the Delhi Prisons are facing a staff shortage of over 20 per cent and urged the court to issue directions to the authorities to fill vacancies of medical officers, welfare officers, counsellors, teachers, vocational counsellors, etc.

The plea has stated that although there are about 18,000 prisoners lodged in jails and the requirement of guarding staff is 3,000, there is an "acute shortage" of guarding staff which results in hindrance in prison administration.

The petition has also prayed for the constitution of the Board of Visitors, Service Board, State Advisory Board, and Prison Development Board in terms of the Delhi Prison Act 2000 and Delhi Prison Rules 2018, in the larger interest of prisoners lodged in Delhi jails and the prison administration.

The matter would be heard next in July.

As per legal news website Live Law, the court has directed the Respondents to file a status report with regard to the sanctioned strength of various posts which have been set out in the writ petition as well as the number of vacancies filled and those which remain unfilled.

The Respondents have further been directed to disclose the reasons for such vacancies not being filled and what steps have been initiated to fill up the vacant posts.

"The Respondents must immediately initiate the process, if not already initiated, of filling up vacancies and expedite the steps wherever the process is underway and pending. A status report be filed in 6 weeks," the order stated.