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 vacant jail posts within the six-month deadline set by the court.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice MS Sonak and Justice Manoj Prasad issued the notices on Thursday while hearing a public interest litigation concerning the condition of inmates in the state’s jails and implementation of the model jail manual in line with Supreme Court directives. The officials have been asked to explain within a week why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.
The court was informed that 81% of posts across various levels in Jharkhand’s jails remain vacant. The vacancies include positions such as assistant jailers, jail warders, medical and nursing staff and other prison personnel. The scale of the vacancies places staffing at the centre of the court-monitored proceedings concerning prison conditions and administrative compliance.
On April 1, the High Court had directed the state government and JSSC to ensure that the vacant posts were filled within six months. According to JSSC counsel Sanjay Piprawar, the commission had already sent a requisition to the state government seeking the names of candidates for the posts. The government, however, had not provided the list, preventing the commission from proceeding with appointments, the counsel told the court.
The state government sought an additional six weeks to comply with the court’s order. The High Court rejected the request, declining to grant a further extension, and directed the JSSC and home department secretaries to submit their responses within a week.
The proceedings highlight the administrative chain involved in filling prison vacancies. Although recruitment is to be carried out through the JSSC, the commission’s counsel told the court that it required the state government to provide the candidate list before appointments could move forward. The court’s notices now place both institutions under a formal obligation to account for the delay.
The case arises from the broader question of whether Jharkhand’s prisons are being managed in accordance with the model jail manual and the Supreme Court’s directions on inmate conditions. Staffing levels affect the functioning of custodial facilities, including routine supervision, security, healthcare and the delivery of prison services. The court’s order, however, concerns compliance with the recruitment deadline and does not itself establish the cause of the reported vacancies.
The JSSC secretary and the state home department secretary must file their responses within one week. The matter is scheduled to be heard again on October 26.
