There are reports of uproar in the cadres of Punjab Prisons Department over alleged discrimination and neglect regarding their salaries.
The complaints have increased after allocation of special allowances for Punjab Police after the judiciary and district administration.
The prison officials have decided to raise voice for their rights at appropriate forums.
An officer told The Express Tribune that though the prisons department had a pivotal role in the criminal justice system along with the judiciary and police, when it comes to their salaries, a difference of up to 50% was noticed when compared different basic pay scales of the departments.
He said that grade 17 officers of all the departments – deputy superintendent of police, civil judge of judiciary, section officer of Civil Secretariat, deputy superintendent of prisons department and assistant commissioner of district administration -- were withdrawing basic pay of Rs39,570 per month. However, there was a huge difference when it came to gross pay. The prisons department were being paid a meagre salary and facing discrimination, he alleged.
He shared that the deputy superintendent jail’s gross pay was Rs71,092, while that of the DSP was Rs102,567, civil judge Rs134,202, section officer Rs148,452 and assistant commissioner Rs133,152.
On the other hand, the role of prions department is much challenging, demanding and risky as its officials are responsible for care, custody and control of hardened criminals, the official added.
Employees of the department work round the clock with shifts of 12 to 14 hours daily and cannot avail weekend, national and even Eid holidays, he continued.
They are bound to remain present in jail premises by virtue of Pakistan Prisons Rules, 1978 to perform their night and day time duties, cope with emergencies and assignments. At present the employees of prisons department get the lowest salary package as compared to other departments such as the police, judiciary, executive, doctors and engineers, he further said.
The discrimination with the prisons department employees was not just of officers cadre of BPS 17 and above but across the board, he added.
The official added that Basic Pay Scale BPS-16 (pay stage 11) was same for police, judiciary, Civil Secretariat and prisons department at Rs34,110. However, prisons department officials in the scale were paid Rs60,826 as compared to Rs79,206 for police, Rs67,546 for reader of judiciary and Rs90,661 for Civil Secretariat employees.
The difference in income trickled down to BPS-5, 7 and 11 also. He shared that basic pay of police constable (BPS-7) was Rs10,990 and jail warden (BPS-05) Rs10,260. However, there was huge difference in the gross pay as jail warden was being paid Rs23,213 as compared to police constable’s Rs34,861.
The jail department top brass has brought the issue into the notice of the higher authorities. Officials have also written to the authorities in this regard. For example, AIG Establishment Prisons Department in April sent a requisition for allocation of special allowance for the prisons department.
However, the issue has not been addressed so far and no concrete measures have been taken in this regard.
Another officer of the prisons department said that after exploiting options of appropriate forums, they were looking for other serious measures also for the acceptance of their demands.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2020.
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