New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the Government of NCT Delhi to ensure that the pending vacancies of Medical Officers, Paramedical Staff, Welfare Officers, Counsellors and Teachers etc in jails in the national capital are filled within six months.
The Bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad in an order dated 12 December stated: "This Court is of the opinion that as the Respondents have already taken steps to depute persons on the post of Teachers and have taken steps for appointment of Counsellors, and they are certainly going to conclude process of recruitment within a period of six months from today, no further orders are required to be passed in the present PIL."
The court direction came during the hearing of a PIL filed by Advocate Amit Sahni stating that a large number of vacancies of Medical Officers, Paramedical Staff, Welfare Officers, Counsellors, Teachers for Education, Yoga Teachers etc, are lying vacant and the Government is not filling up the vacancies.
Vaibhav Mishra, Sonali Tiwary and Monica Chauhan, Advocates appeared for Petitioner Amit Sahni in the matter while Sanjana Nangia, Advocate and Sameer Vashist, Additional Standing Counsel for Respondent (GNCTD).
'There is an acute shortage of prison staff in general and particularly all posts of educational, correctional staff, psychiatric social workers and psychologists have been lying vacant for long. The respondents are duty-bound to take adequate steps not only for the welfare of the prisoners but for the well-being of the prison staff as well. The shortage of prison staff is a reason for the inadequate management of Delhi Jails and many-a-times the same leads to violence upon the errant inmates by the Jail Staff, said the plea.' (with Agency inputs)
