CHENNAI: Out of the nine Central Prisons in Tamil Nadu, six are functioning without full-fledged Prison Superintendent for months. A similar position in Borstal (for juvenile convicts) at Pudukottai is also lying vacant for long.

Only Chennai, Coimbatore and Palayamkottai prisons have Superintendents. In-charge officials are running the show in Salem, Vellore, Cuddalore, Madurai, Puzhal and Tiruchi Prisons. The Chennai Central Prison does not have an Additional Superintendent.

What prevents the Government from filling the vacancies? Department sources say many eligible officials are unable to rise to the Superintendent-grade as they are facing departmental disciplinary proceedings or had suffered minor punishments like increment cut for minor lapses. A volunteer of a service organisation that works for jail reforms says in most cases, the disciplinary proceedings were dragging on for years. "The Government need not waive the proceedings, it will be sufficient if it these are completed within a time frame."

If a proper trial is conducted, many officials will be absolved of the charges and be eligible for promotion. On many occasions, the Government has exercised its power and overlooked such inquiries. Also, even routine regularisation of jailors is being unduly delayed due to "administrative reasons." A retired judicial officer says such delays demoralise the jail force.

He refers to how over half a dozen jailors, whose posts had not been regularised, were downgraded as deputy jailors a few years ago, following the direct recruitment of Jailors. "It is the Government that failed to regularise their service. Officials cannot be punished, after putting in six to seven years of service."

While middle-rung officials complain of delay in appointments and regularisation of services, those in lower rungs lament despite the identical nature of work, their payscale is not on par with their counterparts in the police department.

They are seeking a better pay package, pointing out that the scope for promotion is less and they have to spend virtually all their lives in the company of criminals or undertrials.

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