In Re In The Matter Of To Restart Prisoner Inmate Calling System (PICS) vs State Of Uttarakhand And Others

Ramesh Ranganathan, CJ

This Writ Petition was taken up as a Public Interest Litigation on receipt of an application from an Ex. Army Convict Prisoner, Vinod Singh Bisht,

complaining that Uttarakhand is a hilly State; the lodged inmates are from far flung areas of the State, which makes it almost impossible for the

relatives of the inmates to visit this prison after travelling for more than 24 hours, and then have a meeting, for just 30 minutes, on a single day; the

extreme hardship of travelling for days together, experienced by the family members and relatives of the prisoners, makes the lodged inmates even

more uncomfortable when they see their near and dear ones on visits; this results in prolonged depression and anxiety in the hearts and minds of the

lodged prisoners; the prison administration was kind enough to start a Prisoner Inmates Calling System (PICS), Phone Facility, in the District Jail,

Dehradun on 27.09.2016, which enabled the lodged prisoners to call back home, and know the well being of their family; this had helped in reducing

the pain, depression and anxiety in the hearts and minds of the lodged prisoners; the said facility was, however, discontinued on 21.04.2018, and

remains suspended till date; the Prisoner Inmate Calling System facility has been working well for the past many years in prisons in States like Delhi,

Punjab and Haryana; and this Court may, therefore, consider directing the respondent to re-start the Prisoners Inmate Calling System Phone Facility

for all the lodged inmates of prisons.

In the counter affidavit, filed by respondents, it is stated that letter dated 30.06.2016 was received from the Inspector General, Prisons informing

that he had visited the Central Jail, Ambala in Haryana on 16.06.2016; on the instructions of the Inspector General, a team of jail officials had also

visited the prisons on different dates; on the basis of the report of the team, the Inspector General, Prisons was of the view that, like in prisons in the

State of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, the prisons of Uttarakhand should also have the Prisoner Inmate Calling System facility for its

inmates; he had informed the Principal Secretary that the facility would be started on a trial basis for a period of six months and thereafter, on the

basis of its merits and demerits, the question of extending the facility would be considered; the State Government has issued Government Order dated

10.12.2019 for providing Prisoner Inmate Calling System Phone Facility to all prisons inmates; by the said G.O. a decision has been taken to provide

the Prisoner Inmate Calling System facility, to all prison inmates of Uttarakhand, through BSNL; in furtherance of the said G.O. necessary directions

have been issued for preparation of a standard procedure in compliance with the Uttarakhand Procurement Rules, and specially keeping in view the

security and confidentiality of the prisons; in the State of Uttarakhand, the District Prisons located at Dehradun and Haridwar, the Central Prison at

Sitarganj, and the Sub-Prisons at Roorkee and Haldwani, are situated in the plains; whereas the District Prisons at Nainital, Almora, Pauri, Tehri and

Chamoli are located in the hilly areas.

The steps taken by the State Government, albeit pursuant to the writ jurisdiction of this Court being invoked, to provide the Prisoner Inmate Calling

System facility in all prisons in the State of Uttarakhand is, indeed, laudable.

When the matter was listed before us yesterday, we asked Mr. Pradeep Joshi, learned Standing Counsel, to ascertain the period within which the

said facilities would become operational in all the prisons in the State. Learned Standing Counsel sought time to obtain instructions.

Today, the learned Standing Counsel, on instructions, from the Inspector General, Prisons, submits that the Prisoner Inmate Calling System facility

shall be operational, within three months from today, with all security precautions.

Recording the submission of the learned Standing Counsel, that the Prisoner Inmate Calling System facility system shall be operational, and be made

available to all prisoners in all the prisons in the State of Uttarakhand, within three months from today i.e. on or before 08.04.2020, and as the cause in

the Writ Petition (PIL) no longer survives, the Writ Petition (PIL) is closed. No costs.