Sentence served but still no respite for 47 Pak nationals

Fatehgarh Sahib, Sep 17 (UNI) As many as 47 Pakistani nationals, who have already served their sentences, are still languishing in jails across Punjab.

'' The Punjab government is keen to see that the 47 return to their homes and we have taken up the matter with the Union Home Ministry,'' Minister for Tourism and Jails Hira Singh Gabria said at Sirhind today.

Talking to mediapersons, the minister sought that the Union government should bear the expenditure being incurred on the 47 prisoners.

The minister said there were a total of 26 prisons in Punjab and presently around 4,900 prisoners were lodged in them.

In addition, there are around 9,000 other undertrials , who are facing trial in various cases.

He said two new jails were being constructed in Faridkot and Kapurthala, where 2,500 to 3,000 prisoners would be lodged. He said the government was in the process of renovating the Nabha and Kapurthala jails.

'' Prisons should be away from residential areas and the government is planning to shift all such jails,'' he added.

He said at present there was no proposal of reducing the quantum of sentence of prisoners.

He said the government was keen to improve the condition of prisoners. Special efforts were being made to improve the condition of women prisoners, he added.

The Minister said the state government had issued strict instructions to treat prisoners and undertrials as per rules.

Instructions prohibiting the use of mobile phones by prisoners had been put in black and white for the jail staff, he added.

UNI