LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar while chairing a meeting reviewed the pace of jail reforms and accorded in-principle approval to recruit 4,662 watch and ward officials of the Prisons department and announced to provide 22 ambulances for sick prisoners’ reposition from jails’ hospitals to other infirmaries in the first phase while 21 ambulances would be given next year.

The meeting was also attended by Minister for Prisons Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chohan, ACS (Home), IG prisons and others.

The CM also announced to establish Punjab Prison Staff Training College in Sahiwal along with the construction of additional barracks in ten different jails.

He directed to establish more PCOs to help prisoners to contact their families and added that juvenile offenders and impecunious prisoners would be provided with this facility free of cost. Meanwhile, the Akhuwat would provide loans to officials of the Prisons department for building houses.

While directing to accelerate solarisation of jails, the CM emphasised ensuring availability of quality items at jails canteens at DC rates and made it clear that jail superintendent would be prosecuted over complaints of overcharging or substandard items.

Moreover, the CM inaugurated the data centre of the school education department at PMIU office Wahdat Road on Thursday and appreciated the digital shift. He also distributed shields among the best performing officials and extended congratulations to Education Minister Murad Raas and his team as a new era of digital transformation has started.

The CM mentioned that reformation of health and education sectors was a priority of the PTI and attention was given to improving organisational quality, governance and access to data because verified and updated data was the vital component of policy formulation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022