HC seeks fresh affidavit on overcrowding in Chhattisgarh jails, progress of new facilities
The Chhattisgarh High Court has directed the Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services to submit a fresh personal affidavit on the status of overcrowding in jails across the state, along with an updated progress report on the construction of additional barracks and the appointment of welfare officers.
A division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru issued the directive while hearing a batch of public interest litigations on prison conditions.
The court took note of the affidavit filed by the DG (Prisons), which revealed that as of August 5, 2025, there were 20,500 inmates lodged in 33 jails against a sanctioned capacity of 14,883. The affidavit stated that while additional barracks were completed in Central Jail Raipur, District Jail Mahasamund, District Jail Jashpur, and Central Jail Ambikapur, work is still underway in several other prisons, including Raipur, Durg, and Surajpur.
The DG also informed that the open jail at Bemetara is nearing completion, with pending electrical and ancillary works expected to be finished by the end of August. The report further mentioned ongoing projects, including new jails at Godhi (Raipur) and Baima Nagoi (Bilaspur), and budgetary allocations of over Rs 31 crore for 31 additional barracks in 21 jails across the state.
Amicus Curiae Sunil Pillai highlighted that welfare officers—crucial for ensuring prisoners' access to legal remedies—are posted in only 4–5 jails, while the majority of district jails continue to face vacancies. The bench expressed concern over this gap, noting that the absence of welfare officers hampers inmates' awareness of their legal rights.
The court has asked the state govt to take immediate steps to address this issue and directed the DG (Prisons) to file a fresh affidavit before the next hearing on September 16, 2025.
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