In response to recent controversies involving inmate deaths, inhumane treatment, and criminal activities at various rehabilitation centers, the Assam government has introduced stringent regulations for the operation and establishment of new rehab centers across the state. Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika announced the new guidelines on Monday, aiming to enhance oversight and ensure humane treatment of inmates. Under the new rules, prospective rehabilitation centers must submit an application to the district commissioner’s office. This application will be reviewed by a state-level committee, and approved centers will receive a license to operate. The guidelines mandate that all rehab centers, whether government-run or private, provide psychiatric treatment facilities. Each center must have at least 25 beds, staffed by two nurses, a cook, and 15 other employees. Additionally, centers must have psychiatrists on staff.
Minister Hazarika emphasized the importance of compliance, stating that he will conduct surprise visits to ensure adherence to these guidelines. Strict measures will be taken if an inmate dies at a rehab center. The government will initiate an immediate investigation and enforce necessary actions against the center involved. The new rules also prevent inmates who have stayed at a rehab center for six months from opening their own center upon release. They must undergo three years of treatment at a center before being eligible to start their own. Employees at rehab centers are required to have at least a graduate degree. Centers must maintain separate areas for men and women and employ a project coordinator, a project assistant, and an office assistant, all of whom must be graduates.
For every 25 inmates, centers must employ one cook and an assistant, a cleaner, two nurses, and two ward boys. Continuous 24-hour communication with a doctor is mandatory, and two doctors must visit the center each week. Centers are also required to provide counseling services and admit inmates only after a doctor’s approval, with the doctor conducting an examination within 24 hours of admission. Centers must renew their licenses every three years, applying for renewal two months in advance. HIV patients with a history of drug abuse should be treated at ART centers, as per the new guidelines.