LAHORE, Aug 5: The Punjab Prisons Department is constructing new jails in nine districts of the province to lessen burden on the existing central and district jails.

The new jails are required under the Punjab Prisons Rules to avoid mismanagement, a lack of supervision and facilities, time wastage during prisoners’ production in courts of remote/other districts, and threat of escape.

According to the ongoing annual development plan (ADP) schemes, four jails are being constructed in Okara, Pakpattan, Layyah and Bhakkar at an estimated cost of Rs1,131.976 million. While jails in Hafizabad, Khanewal and Lodhran will be constructed with an expenditure of Rs2,037.156 million, besides two high security prisons in Sahiwal (Southern Punjab) and Mianwali (Northern Punjab) which will accommodate up to 2,000 hardened prisoners currently detained in other jails.

According to new schemes, the Rajanpur and Narowal district jails will be constructed at a cost of Rs983.6 million. The amount is yet to be approved. There are currently 19 district jails in the province.

Official statistics available with Dawn reveal that more than 9,000 prisoners in these districts have been languishing in central and other district jails – a number much more than the rules allow.

Official jail record estimates the number of prisoners up to 64,000 who are confined to 32 jails of the province which have capacity of only 20,540 prisoners. The rules say the government is bound to construct a jail in each district in the province.