Jails in Delhi are "grossly" overcrowded with the number of prisoners lodged being more than double of the capacity and construction of new prisons could not materialise due to delay in acquisition or non-acquisition of land, a CAG report has said.
Until March 31 2014, there were as many as 14,209 prisoners as against the capacity of 6,250 at Tihar and Rohini Jail.
The report also brought to the notice the poor medical facilities in the jails in Delhi as over 93,224 patients had to be referred to outside hospitals for treatment during 2009-14.
The Central Jail, Delhi at Tihar consists of nine jails with a total capacity of 5200 prisoners and is one of the largest prison complexes in Asia. The district jail at Rohini (DJR) has a capacity of 1050 inmates.
The jails are administered under the provisions of the Delhi Prisons Act, 2000 (the Act), which came into effect from 25 October 2004, superseding the Prisons Act, 1894.
"There were 14209 prisoners against the capacity of 6250, including 10849 under trials, 3354 convicts and 06 detenues, lodged in jails as on March 31, 2014.
"A comparison of actual prison population in Tihar Complex and the Rohini Jail as on 31 December of each year, with the designated capacity of jails, indicated gross over-crowding ranging from 174 to 217 per cent.
"Proposals for new jails at Narela, Baprola and Ghitorni could not materialise due to delay in acquisition or non-acquisition of land. Construction of Mandoli jail could not be completed due
to frequent changes in concept, design and requirements," the report stated.
It also stated that the control over entry of prohibited items was inadequate, despite incurring huge expenditure on security items such as CCTVs.
Due to shortage of doctors, medical staff and laboratory facilities, prisoners were referred to outside hospitals on 93224 occasions during 2009-14, out of which, 77232 were only for OPD treatment.
