Punjab Government Authorizes Interstate Transfer of Inmates
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Synopsis
The Punjab government has legalized the transfer of prisoners to other states through the Transfer of Prisoners (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2025, which was unanimously passed by the legislative assembly, highlighting the need for legal mechanisms to address security concerns.
Key Takeaways
- Transfer of Prisoners Bill 2025 passed unanimously.
- Amendments aim to address security challenges.
- Legal framework established for interstate transfers.
- Punjab Police improving emergency response times.
- Significant budget allocations for emergency services.
Chandigarh, March 28 (NationPress) The Punjab government has officially sanctioned the transfer of inmates from its state correctional facilities to other states. The Transfer of Prisoners (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2025, put forth by Jails Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, received unanimous approval from the legislative assembly on Friday.
“As a border state, Punjab faces significant internal security challenges, with numerous jails currently housing high-risk prisoners, including those involved in anti-national activities, individuals associated with international organizations, terrorists, category 'A' gangsters, smugglers, and dangerous offenders who attempt to run their criminal enterprises from prison,” he stated.
Bhullar emphasized that revising the Prisoners Transfer Act of 1950 was essential to create a legal framework for moving undertrial prisoners across state lines.
“The current legislation does not include provisions for relocating Punjab’s imprisoned undertrials to jails in other states,” he explained.
The Jail Minister further noted that these amendments were vital in light of potential threats to law and order, as well as the state's security, ensuring the effective operation of the prison system.
The central aim of the Bill was to grant legal permission for the transfer of undertrial prisoners from Punjab to other states, he added.
In a related initiative, the Punjab Police on Friday began efforts to unify four essential departments responsible for emergency services – Police, Health, Fire, and Disaster Management – into a cohesive response network, aiming to reduce emergency response times from 25 minutes to just eight minutes, thus setting a new national standard.
During the ‘Badalda Punjab’ Budget for 2025-26, the government allocated Rs 125 crore for enhancing the fleet of Emergency Response Vehicles and upgrading district control rooms, while Rs 53 crore was designated for the construction of new ‘Dial 112’ headquarters.
Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav informed the press that this comprehensive reform, being executed on a war footing by the police, concentrates on three crucial areas. The first is to establish seamless coordination between departments through technological integration, where all emergency calls to Dial 112 will be automatically directed to the relevant services.
