The Jharkhand High Court has issued show-cause notices to the secretaries of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and the state home department after the government failed to fill 81% of vacant posts in the state’s jails within a six-month deadline set by the court.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice MS Sonak and Justice Manoj Prasad directed the two officials to explain within a week why contempt proceedings should not be initiated for non-compliance with the court’s orders. The notices were issued while the court was hearing a public interest litigation concerning the condition of inmates in Jharkhand’s jails and implementation of the model jail manual in line with Supreme Court directives.
The court had directed the state government and JSSC on April 1 to ensure that vacant jail posts were filled within six months. The vacancies affect several levels of prison administration, including assistant jailers, jail warders, medical nursing staff and other positions.
During the hearing, JSSC counsel Sanjay Piprawar told the court that the commission had already sent a requisition to the state government seeking the names of candidates for the vacant posts. According to the submission recorded in the case, the government had not yet provided the list, leaving JSSC unable to proceed with the appointments.
The state government sought an additional six weeks to comply with the court’s direction. The High Court rejected the request, declining to grant a further extension, and summoned the JSSC and home secretaries to file their responses within a week.
The staffing gap forms part of the wider proceedings on prison conditions and the implementation of the model jail manual. The court’s intervention places responsibility on both the recruitment agency and the state home department, which is involved in the administration of the prison system.
The case is scheduled to be heard again on October 26. The responses filed by the two secretaries will determine the next stage of the court’s consideration of the alleged non-compliance.
