Contract staff at Government Place of Safety in Vellore seek protection

In a petition to Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian on Tuesday, 15 contract workers said they had been working at the facility since September 2019. Most of the contract workers are graduates and post graduates, and they were working round the clock, taking care of the needs of the inmates.

Contract workers at the Government Place of Safety in Vellore have sought protection, alleging that they have been subjected to verbal abuse and threats by inmates of late.

In a petition to Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian on Tuesday, 15 contract workers said they had been working at the facility since September 2019. Most of the contract workers are graduates and post graduates, and they were working round the clock, taking care of the needs of the inmates.

In recent months, the petition said, the workers noticed a change in the behaviour of the inmates, who abused them regularly. They had given written complaints to the warden of the facility, the district social welfare officer, and the deputy and joint directors of the Department of Social Welfare. However, no action had been taken so far. “Being contract workersf, our job is not secure. After the incident [the escape of some inmates], our lives are at risk,” they said.

The plea comes a day after six inmates escaped from the facility after allegedly attacking three staff members, including the chief guard. The police said it was around 7.30 p.m. on Monday when the six inmates, said to be in the age group of 17-18 years, allegedly attacked three workers at the institution, which holds children in conflict with law. Then they escaped after getting the keys to its main entrance door. The facility, which has 42 inmates, has been maintained by the Department of Social Welfare and monitored by the Juvenile Justice Board.

Meanwhile, a search has been launched at public places for the escaped inmates. Teams have also gone to the native places of the inmates. Counselling is held for the inmates by senior officials of the Department of Social Welfare, officials said.