Suggestions for Ilam jail improvement submitted

By Kokila Dhakal,Ilam, Mar. 14: A committee formed to investigate the issues of Ilam jail has suggested making improvements in seven areas. 

A week ago, the District Administration Office (DAO) had formed an inquiry committee after a video, in which the inmates are seen playing cards and drinking alcohol inside the jail, was exposed in social media. 

In the report submitted by the committee formed under the coordination of Hari Thapa, Administrative Officer of the DAO, it has been mentioned that the video leaked one week ago was not of the recent time.

Chief District Officer of Ilam Shrawan Kumar Pokharel, said that various suggestions were made in the report for the reform of Ilam prison. 

According to the report, the watchmen and the leader of the inmates (Naike) of the internal administration of the prison should be made more responsible and accountable, coordination between the prison administration and the security personnel should be made more effective, the prisoners’ meeting room should be organised and monitored more closely, the food taken to the prison should be checked, local people should not be kept as watchmen. 

The report has also recommended to suspend the prison administration staff for a maximum of one year and transfer the security personnel of the prison in every six months.

CDO Pokharel said that the report also showed that the video inside the prison, which was made public earlier, was found to be of 11 months back. 

According to Pokharel, the employees and security personnel of that time are not now in prison. 

"After the report indicated that the internal administration of the prison is still unable to work responsibly, some prisoners have been transferred at the instructions of the Department of Prison," CDO Pokharel said. 

"The prisoners seen in the video along with the male and female watchmen who are in charge of the internal administration have already been transferred."  In the report, it is mentioned that the video was taken by the disgruntled watchman of that time, when a prisoner had died in block number 2 of the prison, and the inmates had played cards and consumed liquor to remain awake throughout the night sitting near the body. 

CDO Pokharel informed that the watchman of that time is not in jail now. "Nothing has been revealed in the report as to how the alcohol and cards were taken inside the jail," said Pokharel.