The Etah jail where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi is lodged in connection with his hate speeches is the only district jail in the country which has an ISO:9001 (2000) certification.
"The Etah jail got the certification on April 14 last year and has the capacity to lodge 660 inmates. However, presently there are 1,518 inmates lodged in the jail. It is the only district jail in the country, which has an ISO: 9001 (2000) mark," District Jail Superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma said.
Apart from it, only the Central Jail, Bhopal, has the distinction of having the coveted ISO certification.
Asked about the parameters on which the jail got the certificate, Sharma said, "The laid down parameters are secure and safe custody of the inmates, maintaining safe, clean and healthy working environment, continuous improvement through regular quality management, implementation of government policy as per rules and qualified medical service and facility of reformation through cultural and social programmes in the prison."
Asked whether Varun Gandhi is the first high-profile person to be lodged in the jail, Kumar said, "No. Previously, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari and BSP MLA Guddu Pandit were lodged here."
The Jail Superintendent said the ISO certificate is valid for three years and after that the jail's audit will be done again.
The district jail is spread over 12 hectares of land and the jail premises cover almost five hectares of land, he said adding "the jail has 18 cells, where the inmates stay."
