By Express News Service

KOCHI: Following largescale recovery of mobile phones, weapons and drugs from Kannur and Viyyur central jails, the Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services Department has decided to make Aadhaar card mandatory for people visiting prisoners.

Though such a mandate was issued earlier, officers in prisons were not strictly following it and were allowing visitors to meet inmates after the latter submit of any valid photo identity card, mainly the voter ID card.

“The order making Aadhaar card mandatory for people visiting prisons had been issued earlier,” Kerala Prisons Director General Rishi Raj Singh said.

However, Viyyur Central Prison officials said they allowed visitors, who submit their voter ID card, to meet the prisoners. “We file a copy of the card for reference purposes,” said officials.

In 2017, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had advised all states and union territories to make Aadhaar card mandatory for visitors.

Besides to strengthening security in jails, the move aimed at verifying antecedents of people coming to meet the prisoners and curb visitors’ attempts to smuggle cell phones and drugs into prisons.As per MHA’s advice, apart from visitors, prisoners should also be Aadhaar seeded to regulate day-to-day aspects like court appearance, release, transport and health.