Srinagar: Prisoners at the Kot-Balwal jail are provided a “ridiculous” quantity of just 58 grams of meat or cheese once in a week while as there is a lack of para-medical staff at the Prison Hospital in the jail, the State Human Rights Commission has said in its annual report for the year 2009-10. “It is reported that there is a ten-bedded hospital in the jail to provide 24 hours health care to the prisoners and staff. One B-Grade physician and one Asst.Surgeon with para-medical staff is posted at the hospital. (However,) the information supplied shows that para-medical staff is not provided as per sanctioned strength. Instead it is seen that about 40 percent of sanctioned staff, as at present, is not at all posted in the hospital,†the report says, adding that inmates who require special treatment are referred to and treated at GMC Jammu, SMGS Hospital Jammu and CD Hospital Jammu. “The physician who was available on the spot did not complain of deficiency of stocks but on interaction with concerned an impression is gathered  that the medical and other needed check-ups and as also other facilities need to be toned up/ made available at the hospital,†the SHRC says.Regarding the food facilities at the jail, the report observes that even though the living  conditions of the inmates in the jail, on taking a “comparative lookâ€, is not bad in physical terms, and the scale and quantity of foods and drinks per day per inmate is as per jail manual of 2000, the prisoners are provided just 100 grams of milk per day, which even as per the perception of the jail staff, and as per a doctor is “quite meagre and insufficient.â€Â “Similarly meat/cheese given to the inmates once in a week is just 58 grams, which appears quite ridiculous, and the (jail) doctor and the jail administration agree that it is so,†the SHRC says, recommending an urgent  increase of 50 grams  for the milk and meat/cheese quantity.The SHRC further recommends setting up of a committee comprising among others a diet expert to look in the matter to recommend proper, reasonable and minimum bare scale  of balanced food and drinks for inmates, indispensable for very existence of humans. “It is also found that a dietician need to be provided and given a job in the jail so that the health and to an extent physique of a prisoner is reasonably taken care of,†it says.The SHRC reports points out that even though there is no overcrowding problem in the jail— among the 371 inmates at the jail, 72 are foreign nationals (13 convicts, 9 under trials and 50 PSA detenues)— the prisoners “do complain that punctual and regular transportation facilities are not made available to the detenues facing trial in various courts in the districts of Reasi, Ramban, Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, etc.â€Â “Thereby they are not able to appear before the courts on the dates given and fixed in advance on previous charges. The proceedings get delayed ultimately leading to inordinate delay in disposal of cases,†it says, adding that some of the detenues have complained that “they are here for years together, only because their cases are not speedily disposed of and the prime and main reason is inability of concerned District Police Lines to Provide the transportation and inapt arrangements for the detenues to be ferried to attend the court case on due dates.â€It recommends that to avoid the avoidable delays and come over the situation of overstay in the prisons on the one hand viable mechanism need to be evolved and on the other hand things are to be managed astutely while providing for and arranging transport/security in taking the under trial prisoners to courts in particular outside Jammu and vice versa. “Instead of asking each and every district police line to arrange for transport/security to take prisoners to the concerned respective courts from Jammu, the government can examine the feasibility of providing a single separate cell to arrange for transport and security for taking prisoners to the courts in far flung areas in Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Doda etc.  and lodging back of the prisoners in the jail at Jammu. This job can be given to the prison authorities headed by Director General Prisons providing of unified centralized agency for the purpose would also be economical time saving more efficient.â€Further, the SHRC says, an officer needs to be posted at Srinagar and Jammu to advise ,aid and assist the jail administration as also in matters of legal activities. A counseling centre/ legal aid cell need to be put in place as part of mechanism in jails to advice and aid the prisoners in matters like bails, reviews, revisions, appeals petitions, representations etc, to be made to courts, officers and other dignitaries. Presently there is no such thing in existence. If a mechanism and mandatory procedure is evolved and established thereto then the lawyers and authorities from state legal aid service, bar and other accredited NGOs can be associated with the process and all other genuinely interested and concerned are willingly come forward to contribute their bit.