Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Manipur officials celebrated the first-ever Raising Day for the Prisons and Correctional Services Department on Monday. The event at Imphal’s Central Prison honored 134 years of history since the facility opened in 1892. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh called for a shift from simple confinement to active rehabilitation.
The Chief Minister noted that the state must treat inmates with perspective. "A person kept behind bars should not be considered a convict unless proven guilty in accordance with law," Singh said. He wants prisons to become institutions for moral correction.
Structural failure plagues the century-old Imphal site. The Chief Minister confirmed plans for reconstruction and modernization to address its poor condition. He also promised to fix a deep manpower shortage. New hires will arrive through direct recruitment or the state’s Die-in-Harness Scheme.
Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam credited the department’s newfound recognition for the celebration. He praised the staff for maintaining security and discipline. The event also honored S.K. Bhadrika, Superintendent of Manipur Central Jail, who received a medal for his work. Bhadrika previously earned the President's Correctional Service Medal for Distinguished Service in 2024.
DGP of Nagaland Rupin Sharma attended the ceremony alongside Manipur officials including DGP (Prisons) Arvind Kumar and ADGP I.K. Muivah. The department hosted a 5-km run earlier that day to mark the milestone. Winners received prizes during the formal program.
Updated at 21st September 2026 at 9:46pm
Beyond the ceremony, the Chief Minister confirmed he held direct meetings with high ranking police brass to accelerate the staffing process. The state intends to use these discussions to speed up the hiring pipeline for jail personnel.
Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam added context to the long delay in recognizing the department. He noted that the agency previously lacked the formal status required to hold such celebrations, preventing them from hosting commemorative events like a Golden Jubilee in past decades.
Updated at 21st September 2026 at 10:30pm
Beyond the prison anniversary, the Chief Minister signaled a broader push to fill government vacancies. He distributed offer forms to 93 candidates under the Die-in-Harness scheme for the Land Resources Department at the Secretariat in Mantripukhri. The move follows a similar recruitment drive where 37 candidates were placed within the state Excise Department.
Khemchand Singh noted that other government departments should also utilize this recruitment path where necessary to clear backlogged administrative work. He confirmed that the government is strictly adhering to established rules and guidelines to bring these new hires into the state workforce.
Updated at 22nd September 2026 at 2:16pm
Beyond the prison event, the state is moving to plug a massive labor gap. Officials report over 50,000 vacant government posts. To clean up the process, Secretary to the Governor Sumant Singh released a verified list of applicants after scrubbing the files of more than 10,000 hopefuls. This move aims to strip away uncertainty for those in the queue.
The government is keeping the doors open for complaints. Applicants who believe their file was mishandled have until September 29, 2026, to file written objections at Lok Bhavan. The state is capping these compassionate hires at 5 percent of total vacancies tied to regular recruitment. With the latest Land Resources and Excise department pickups, 130 people have now landed jobs through the scheme during Singh's current tenure.
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