Hyderabad: Prisons Director General, V.K. Singh, has promised to pay a reward of Rs 10,000 for anyone who proves that there is corruption in Hyderabad’s jails.
“While Telangana has been rated as the second most corrupt state in a recent survey, people should know that we have a corruption-free and most technologically advanced prison,” Mr Singh said.
A focussed move to check corruption in the department was not something implemented elsewhere in the country.
Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Singh said, “We are the only department in the country to be declared corruption-free. The death rate of prisoners has reduced and we have also taken up a series of measures for educating the prisoners. Ours is the only department which is discharging social responsibility and service beyond our call of duty.”
He said corruption could be ended if the work environment was good. “Lack of job satisfaction is a primary reason why people resort to corruption. In the jails here, we have installed top class equipments and have also provided them with gears and amenities for easy processing. This is the only jail with facilities like an air conditioned meeting room. Earlier it was just a ground without even proper benches,” he said.
The jail also got rid of the old iron mesh which was used as a wall between the inmate and the visitor during mulaqat. “We replaced those things with an unbreakable glass for the convenience of the visitors. The mesh made it difficult for the people to see each other and we replaced it with glass and intercoms for a smooth and simple procedure. Apart from this, we have also got CCTV cameras all over the premises to monitor the activities and to maintain constant vigil,” said Mr Singh.
According to him, the biggest achievement of the department in the last three years was to eradicate corruption from all jails in the state.
Mr Singh has initiated several programmes like providing education and jobs to prisoners, nurturing their mental health, setting up rules like ‘no fuel-no helmet’ at prison-run fuel bunks, taking in the destitute and beggars to educate, train and provide them with a better life.
He said the prisons department was in the forefront to rehabilitate beggars, mentally challenged, the destitute and added that no prisons department in the world had taken up such an initiative.
Mr Singh said instructions have been issued to officials to meet the public without appointment at office hours in order to consolidate the department’s position. The department’s headquarters has been shifted to a new campus near Nalgonda Crossroads.
