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Explain Delay in Filling Vacant Prison Posts: Himachal Pradesh High Court
Shimla, Updated At : 16:17 PM Aug 23, 2025 IST
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the Secretary (Home), the Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh State Selection Commission, Hamirpur, and the Chairman of the Ex-Servicemen Employment Cell to file affidavits explaining the delay in filling vacant posts across the state’s prisons.
The order was passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma while hearing a public interest litigation highlighting the poor state of prisons in Himachal Pradesh.
The court’s directive followed a perusal of the affidavit filed by the Additional Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, which revealed that out of the 781 sanctioned posts in various categories, 124 remain vacant. Among them, two of the four sanctioned posts for medical officers are unfilled. As per a letter dated July 11, 2025, the Secretary (Health & Family Welfare) has made an interim arrangement by deputing two medical officers twice a week at the Community Health Centre, Mashobra (Shimla), the Model Central Jail, Kanda (Shimla), and the Open Air Jail, Bilaspur.
Observing this, the bench remarked: “The chart of prison inmates provided in the affidavit shows that the Model Central Jail, Kanda (Shimla), houses 515 inmates and the Open Air Jail, Bilaspur, 224 inmates. In such circumstances, instead of relying on deputations, sanctioned posts should be filled on a regular basis.”
The affidavit further revealed that four of the 12 sanctioned posts of Head Warder (Female) are vacant, while 58 out of 479 Warder (Male) posts remain unfilled due to lack of promotions. Similarly, two of the 37 sanctioned posts of Warder (Female) are lying vacant, though the recruitment process is currently underway. The filling of one post each of Male and Female Social Workers is pending with the State Home Department.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 6.
