VELLORE: Several jail warders and head warders attached to the Central Prisons in the State are treated like domestic help in senior prison officials’ bungalows, including the bungalows of Superintendents of Prisons, in the name of Orderly Duty or so called ‘the bungalow duty’.
Though the British period practice (Bungalow duty) in uniform services had been abolished in the mid-80s, after the State government had issued an order, it is still in practice in the Prison Department. Not less than 10 personnel are engaged in bungalow duties in Superintendent’s and Additional Superintendent’s bungalows.
“It will be 6:4 ratio or 5:3 ratio of warders engaged in orderly duty in Superintendent and Additional Superintendent’s bungalows. It depends on the availability of the personnel in the respective Central Prisons,” said a reliable source in the department.
Six warders were engaged in bungalow duty in Superintendent’s bungalow here, while three or four warders have been engaged in Additional Superintendent’s bungalows to do menial jobs for them and their family members.
Personnel in the rank of warder and head warder, which is equivalent to Constable and Head Constable in police department respectively, would be assigned for orderly duty. “Once a warder is assigned for orderly duty, there is no turning back for him. They will spend three-fourths of their service in orderly duty. It was abolished two decades ago in uniform services, except in the Prison Department,” said a head warder, who spent 24 years in bungalow duty for 11 Superintendents out of his 31 years of entire service in the department.
They have to cook, iron clothes of the officials, go to the market to buy groceries, do watchman duty, serve their family members and guests and accompany them when they go around.
It is not only happening here in Vellore, but in other Central Prisons too. It includes the Women Central prisons as well. “The record shows the warder or head warder working inside the prison. The register roll will be taken to the bungalow from the prison to get their signature,” a 48-year-old head warder.
The warders on bungalow duty are in the good books of the Superintendent so that he would be taken care of.
“I was ill-treated numerous times before the prisoners. They speak about the rights of prisoners, but treated their own men like slaves,” said another head warder, a recipient of the CM’s Award for meritorious service.
“There are many like me. After a lot effort, I managed to get a transfer and escape from the torment,” he said with a sigh of relief.
Members of the Retired Police Welfare Association said that the government should take suitable action to stop such practice. “The orderly duty had existed in Police, Fire and Forest Departments till the early 80s. But, we raised our voice against it. It eventually ended the orderly duty in our department. Such practice will affect the morale of the personnel and also lead to corruption,” said retired police official V Jayakumar.