Provincial Minister for Prison and Industry Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor has said that 13 new jails are under construction in the province at a cost of Rs 9 billion and on completion, additional accommodation for 10192 prisoners will be added. Talking to a delegation of an NGO, the minister said that problems of overcrowding would be reduced with this addition.
He further said that historic revision of diet menu by increasing Rs 19 to Rs 50 per prisoner per day by Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has enabled us to provide inmates healthy food. Similarly, their healthcare budget has also enhanced, he added.
He said that drug rehabilitation centers have been established in the Punjab province and thousands of prisoners have been treated. He also said that by the help of prosecution department 7682 prisoners have been got released during the last seven months reducing the prison population from 60,000 to 52,318. He also revealed that 300 prisoners were got released by paying their fine and 'diyat'. An amount of Rs 30 million was paid in this regard which was arranged through grant-in assistance by the Punjab government and philanthropists.