JAMMU, NOVEMBER 05: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday chaired a high-level review meeting of the Prisons Department at Lok Bhavan, Jammu, to assess the security arrangements, administrative functioning and overall management of prisons across Jammu and Kashmir.
During the meeting, the Lieutenant Governor stressed the need for a comprehensive and coordinated security mechanism involving the Police, Prisons Department and intelligence agencies to effectively tackle terror networks, radicalisation, security threats and potential law and order challenges.
Emphasising the importance of robust prison administration and enhanced institutional coordination, the Lieutenant Governor directed officials to establish a unified mechanism for regular intelligence sharing and periodic review meetings among all concerned agencies.
He underlined that timely exchange of intelligence inputs and coordinated action were essential to prevent unlawful activities, identify potential security threats and strengthen surveillance within prison premises.
The Lieutenant Governor also directed authorities to conduct surprise inspections of prison premises and their surrounding areas to ensure strict compliance with established security protocols. He further called for forensic examination of electronic devices seized during security-related operations to identify possible links with unlawful activities.
The meeting also discussed several measures aimed at modernising prison administration and strengthening internal security infrastructure, including the establishment of dedicated Prison Intelligence Units in jails, introduction of biometric identification systems across all prisons and enhanced monitoring mechanisms.
The Lieutenant Governor also emphasised the need to expand telemedicine facilities for inmates to improve access to healthcare services and directed officials to strengthen human resources in the Prisons Department for more effective administration and management.
During the review, Sinha also assessed the progress of the upcoming High-Security Prison at Mahanpur and directed the concerned authorities to expedite the remaining construction and development works, ensuring completion within the stipulated timelines.
The meeting was attended by DGP Nalin Prabhat; DGP Prisons J&K Deepak Kumar; Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Chandraker Bharti; Special DG Coordination, PHQ, S.J.M. Gillani; ADG CID M.K. Sinha; Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor Govind Jaiswal; Additional Director, IB J&K and Ladakh, Pankaj Kumar Thakur; and other senior officers.
The review meeting focused on strengthening prison security, improving administrative efficiency, upgrading technological infrastructure and ensuring closer coordination among security and intelligence agencies to address emerging challenges across Jammu and Kashmir.
