“Eradication of the cell phone menace in the Central Prison, Vellore and the development of the prison as a Centre of Excellence in Leather Products are high on my agenda”, said V.M. Mohamed Haneefa who took charge on Monday as the Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, Vellore Range in the newly created post.
The Central Prison, the Special Prison for Women and one Borstal School in Vellore and 13 sub jails in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts, and the Central Prison in Cuddalore and 12 sub-jails in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts come under the jurisdiction of the Vellore zone.
Talking to newspersons immediately after taking charge, Mr. Haneefa said he would be launching a two-pronged attack on cell phones inside the Central Prison, Vellore, especially to prevent a situation where plots for crime were sketched by prisoners inside the prison using cell phones. “First we will flush out the cell phones inside the prison, and then tighten the security at the entry points to prevent the smuggling of contraband including cell phones and ganja inside the prison”, he said.
The DIG said that given the vocational skills of the prison inmates in Vellore, in making leather products, the Central Prison in Vellore would be developed as a Centre of Excellence in leather products. The Prison Bazaar in Vellore would be upgraded in such a way that it meets the entire requirements of the local people. The unit making sanitary napkins would be strengthened. An exhibition of the acrylic canvas pictures and handicraft items made by the prison inmates would soon be conducted in Vellore, he said.
Mr. Haneefa said that for the first time in the history of Indian prisons, groundnut cultivation has been taken up in the Central Prison, Vellore with the help of seeds provided by the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre. V. Karuppannan, Superintendent, Central Prison for Vellore said the prison harvested 33.5 bags of groundnut comprising 50 kg each from 3.5 acres of groundnut cultivation undertaken with the coordination of BARC. “We will be shortly cultivating groundnut and horse gram”, he said.
