Shah Faesal, Engineer Rashid announce pre-poll alliance, call it ‘Peoples United Front’
Srinagar: Former IAS officer Shah Faesal and former MLA Engineer Rashid on Tuesday announced a pre-poll alliance to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
At a press conference here, Faesal and Rashid announced that the Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM) and Awami Ittehad Party have joined hands to form an electoral alliance called the Peoples United Front.
Rashid is the chief of Awami Ittehad Party, while Faesal, who gave up his coveted career in the IAS to join politics, formed the JKPM.
"In view of the prevailing political circumstances in the state, the Awami Ittehad Party and JKPM have decided to enter into a pre-poll alliance and gather under the banner of Peoples United Front.
"The alliance has been necessitated by the ongoing political uncertainty in the state, apprehensions with regard to assaults on the special status and the absence of any credible political alternative that could address both the political vacuum and the absence of good governance.
"The Peoples United Front will make all efforts to unite the state's people, irrespective of religion, region, caste and creed and seek for all citizens of the state equal opportunities and social, economical and political justice," Faesal read out a statement jointly released by him and Rashid.
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Bengaluru jail introduces biometric tracking system for prisoners
Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.
According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.
Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.
Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.
Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.
The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.
Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.
