Bhagwant Mann Strikes Hard: 25 Jail Officials Axed for Aiding Drug Rackets

National News: The Punjab government has suspended 25 jail officers and employees with immediate effect, taking major steps against corruption in state jails, drug smuggling, and 'VIP facilities' being received by criminals. This tough step taken under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is considered to be an important turn towards improving the jail system of the state.

Who included suspended officers?

The suspended officials include 3 deputy superintendents, 2 assistant superintendents, and many other jail personnel, who were stationed in the major jails of the state, including Ludhiana, Patiala, Amritsar, Ferozepur, and Bathinda. These officials are accused of not only ignoring intoxication and smuggling of mobile phones inside the jail but also directly supporting it in many cases.

How was the scam revealed?

According to sources, in the last few months, the government received several complaints stating that the prisoners within the jails were being allowed to have drugs, mobile phones, internet access, and even personal deliveries.
Taking these complaints seriously, the government started surprise inspections and intelligence investigations. The report revealed that many officers were not only negligent but were also involved in direct collusion with drugs mafia.

Strict message from CM Bhagwant Mann

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann gave a statement about this action and said, "It is the priority of our government to give a clean and transparent administration to free Punjab from intoxication. It is necessary to bring changes if the jail becomes a crime instead of the reform home."

Maan has already said that whether it is an officer or any common man, drugs and corruption will not be tolerated.

How was the network of crime flourishing in jail?

According to preliminary reports of Police and Jail Department:

• The supply of drugs was being delivered to the prisoners in the jail through special routes.
• The gangsters were in constant touch with the network outside the jail through mobile phones.
• In many places, jail workers were getting 'cut' of the month so that they would remain silent.
• Some officers had provided gangsters with private rooms, home-cooked food, and internet.

Warning: monitoring and action intensifies to the jail department

After this action, the government has given a strict warning to the top officials of the jail department that no further negligence will be tolerated.

Soon in all the jails of the state:

• 24x7 CCTV Monitoring,
• Digital log system,
• And the rotational transfer policy of officers can be implemented.

We are not the first time, but the biggest action

It is worth noting that Bhagwant Maan Sarkar has suspended many jail officers before this, but suspending 25 officers simultaneously is considered to be the biggest action ever. This shows that the government is now in the mood to clean the dirt off the jail system.

Is this the beginning of change?

Experts believe that this is a solid and courageous step towards making prisons crime-free. But this will prove to be effective only when further planned policy, regular monitoring, and political will maintain the continuity of such actions.