LOWER SHER, 22 Dec: Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that Arunachal Pradesh records one of India’s lowest rates of crimes against women and children.
Khandu said this during a public meeting after laying the foundation stone of the state’s first ‘central jail-turned-correctional centre’ here in Papum Pare district on Thursday.
“In 2021, chargesheets in Arunachal have been filed in 87.09 percent arrests. Both these are a testament to our government’s policies and approach towards speedy and scientific investigations and filing of chargesheets in time to ensure that no guilty is let free, and that no innocent suffers needlessly,” the CM said, and assured that “the government’s
focus is on upholding the finest tenets of the criminal justice system, keeping in mind the rights of both victims and the accused, and the maintenance of law and order.”
Stating that “prisoners have been treated as a burden on the society for far too long,” he added, “We will now move further away from this dehumanising notion. While ensuring the dignity of every prisoner, the government is making efforts to educate prisoners, involve them in skill development activities and link them to employment enhancement opportunities. This will ensure higher earnings for prisoners, as well as work to lead them towards gainful employment and away from crime after their release.”
Khandu informed that, in order to facilitate continuation of education of inmates, the state government has collaborated with Rajiv Gandhi University to provide the same through distance education.
“I am happy to know that presently two inmates have applied for postgraduate courses, while three are starting their graduate level courses,” he said.
The government, Khandu informed, is also working towards providing necessary medical assistance to inmates, and provide treatment to those suffering from chronic medical conditions such as TB and malnourishment.
The CM heaped praises on the local residents for donating about 98 hectares of land for the project. “In return, all public requests, including mini-secretariat, health units, roads, flood protection works, etc, will be fulfilled in a phased manner,” he said.
Informing that the correctional centre will begin with housing 500 male and 100 female inmates, despite its capacity to house 1,000 inmates, Khandu said he wishes that “it remains unoccupied most of the time.”
“Yes, we have laid the foundation for a correctional centre for 1,000 inmates – the largest in the state – but I pray that it remains empty,” he said.
The CM further said that Arunachal’s first central jail will be renamed as a correctional centre, “where we will ensure that every effort is made to reform prisoners and provide them with the skills and opportunities required for their meaningful rehabilitation as productive and participative members of society.”
He assured that the ‘central jail’ written on the foundation stone would be changed to ‘correctional centre’. “This,” he said, “is the state government’s commitment towards transforming the prison system from a punitive to reformative approach, with the aim of ensuring prisoners becoming integral members of society, post their release.”
Among others, Home Minister Bamang Felix was present on the occasion. (CM’s PR Cell)
