Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 22: The district prison here has a post of jail superintendent. But the person posted to this designation discharges duty in another prison.

A permanent superintendent had been posted here, and he had tome and taken charge. However, on the very next day he was shifted on some other work. As such, the in-charge superintendent is compelled to manage this prison.

Strangely, the superintendent's post here is filled but immediately the persons are sent on office duty to other prisons. After the assistant superintendent managed the prison for three years, a person named K Suresh was posted as the first ever superintendent of this prison. However, within days of his taking charge, he was deployed to Bengaluru central prison on office duty. He was also transferred from there to another place thereafter.

Thereafter, a person named Mari Gowda was transferred to the post of the superintendent here. But on the very next day of reporting here, he was sent to Belagavi central prison on office duty. From there he was transferred to Dharwad on June 12. No other person has been posted in his vacancy so far. Chandan Patel, who was deployed to the prison here as probationary assistant commissioner, after completing probationary period, is functioning as assistant superintendent here. He is also in charge of the post of the prison superintendent.

The people want the government to see that the superintendent is posted here, and he works in this prison. The officer should not be sent elsewhere on office duty, they have demanded.

The security in the prison here was beefed up after double murder. The staff strength was also reinforced. CCTC were fitted, and Central Industrial Security Force personnel were posted. The post of the superintendent was sanctioned in order to bring the situation under control. The prison, which is meant to accommodate 250 persons now has over 300 prisoners, mostly under-trials. The prison is in need of a strict superintendent and the prison can achieve improvement if the officer is permanently posted here, the people believe.

Karnataka home minister Basavaraj Bommai stated that he had not noticed that people posted as superintendent to the prison here were deputed on office duty elsewhere in the past. He said he will check the facts and take steps to see that permanent superintendents are posted to all the prisons.