Due To Non-availability Of Funds, Govt Rejects Prison Dog Team Project

Patiala: After failing to control exporting of narcotics within the jails via manual frisking of convicts and visitants, the state Jails section had lined a project to designate trained dog at jails to smell out narcotics.

But, owing to lack of funds, the state administration has refused the offer. It instead suggested the section to “share” the dogs available with other sections.

Sources stated 4 months back, the Jails Department had written to the Home Secretary to permit it to raise an independent dog team for designating trained dogs at all central jails. At the present moment, the jail faculty manually examines goods brought by relatives of convicts. Visitors are often grabbed exporting smack, opium, illegal caps and other narcotics concealed in eatables and other goods.

At the beginning, the jail section had pegged the cost of project at Rs 42 lakh annually. Round 8 dogs were to be procured and given training before designating these at prisons where customary drug peddlers are stuck. The team was to be fortified to two dogs per prison during the next stage.

“The thought was to eliminate manual frisking of items and visitants. The project would have assisted ascertain corruptness among jail functionaries,” claimed Additional DGP (Jails) Rajpal Meena.

“Though the plan bagged a green sign from the Home Department, we have not got the final nod”, Meena stated, adding Faridkot-like incidents could also be checked.

Sources added the Finance section did not authorize the project, citing high operation cost of the dog team. It proposed that the section should utilize dog teams available with the armed battalions and the zone police.

While giving confirmation of the development, DS Bains, principal secretary, Home, stated though his section had authorized the project, the Finance section did not find out the project cost-efficient. “But, the rejection should not obstruct the section from enforcing the measure as dog teams of other sections could be pressed into service”, he stated.