July 20, 2007	Friday	Rajab 04, 1428

GUJRANWALA, July 19: The central jail has become a cattle pen as it is holding 3,989 inmates against a capacity of 913 prisoners. According to a survey report gleaned by Dawn, inmates are being kept like animals as they cannot sleep at night for a lack of space and other facilities in the barracks. The jail has nine barracks and each barrack is made for 100 inmates, but currently each barrack is holding more than 413 prisoners. These barracks have only four latrines and bathrooms. The women’s barrack has 42 extra inmates.

The jail has 80 death cells and one death cell is for one prisoner only, but here the situation is altogether different as there are 585 inmates in these cells. The jail has 378 officials to deal with the inmates. Its 18-bed hospital has two doctors and as many dispensers and paramedics to treat sick prisoners, but critical inmates have to be taken to the district headquarters hospital for treatment.

The main cause of the overcrowding of the central jail is said to be transfer of prisoners from other districts, especially Hafizabad because there is no district jail. The jail has no industrial unit and convicted prisoners have to be taken to Lahore jails to engage them in labour. During this period, the prisoners’ heirs have to face a great deal of inconvenience to reach Lahore to meet them. Another reason behind the overcrowding of the jail is frequent implication of people in drug and arms cases by police.

Jail Superintendent Sikander Hayat said more barracks were needed to solve the overcrowding problem.

Chaudhry Nematullah Mujahid, a non-official visitor to the jail, said minor cases should be settled at police stations.

Monsoon season: The monsoon season has exposed the National Highway Authority (NHA) performance when an under-construction service road along eastern side of the GT Road in Ghakkhar Town has started tearing up before its completion.

Residents have strongly protested over the wastage of national exchequer and demanded of the federal government and the Punjab governor to take stern action against the contractor and highway officials concerned.

A survey reveals that the NHA had awarded the contract to Shahid and Company for the construction of one-and-a-half-kilometre long service road at a cost of Rs20 million in November 2006.

The contractor, who is reportedly using substandard material in the construction of the drain and service road, has kept the road one foot below the level of the GT Road in the limits of the town. He is also using crushed stones in the construction of walls of the drain instead of bricks.

A knee-deep water has accumulated in front of the Railway Road and other places as to the result of the ongoing monsoon rains that have damaged these roads as well.

When contacted, the NHA staff said that the deputy director was busy in a meeting.

BOOKED: Over 55 landlords were booked for stealing canal water in Naushera Virkan, Tetley and Kamoke areas on Thursday.

The irrigation department received an information that some landlords were stealing canal water through pipes for their paddy fields. When a joint team of police and the irrigation department conducted a raid, these landlords escaped. However, the raiding party recovered pipes and other equipment from their fields.

SHOT DEAD: A newly-wed bridegroom was shot dead allegedly by his father-in-law in Gorala village, Kamoke, on Thursday.

Navid contracted court marriage with the daughter of Aslam a few days ago. Later, Aslam invited the couple to his house where he shot dead Navid.