Assam likely to get new Prison Manual; committee prepares draft

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Assam is likely to get a new Prison Manual. The six-member committee which was constituted by the Assam Government to prepare the draft Assam Jail Rules, 2021, submitted the draft to the government recently.

As per sources, the government had constituted a six-member committee headed by the Inspector General of Prisons (IG) as chairman. This committee had a member secretary and four retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGs) as members. This committee had been tasked with preparing the draft Assam Jail Rules, 2021. The committee chairperson, Barnali Sharma, IG (Prisons) submitted the draft recently to Niraj Verma, Principal Secretary, Home and Political Department, in presence of Diganta Borah, Secretary of the Home Department, and Dilip Saikia, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons (HQ).

Notably, the Union Home Ministry had said that all prisons across the country should follow the same rules. It was noted that there were wide variations in prison rules in different States. So the Home Ministry stated that the respective State governments should review the jail manuals to ensure uniformity in the administration of prisons.

Sources further said that the six-member committee studied the Model Prison Manual, 2016, the Assam Prison Manual and the Assam Prisons Act to prepare the draft Assam Jail Rules, 2021. After the cabinet approves the draft, Assam will get its new Prison Manual which will bring about uniformity in laws, rules and regulations governing the administration of prisons and the management of prisoners in the State.

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