Mohali, Feb. 10 -- An attempt by nearly 20 inmates to flee the government-run de-addiction and rehabilitation centre in Sector 66 on Sunday afternoon has once again brought the spotlight on security gaps and the growing strain on staff at the facility, which has been functioning in Mohali since 2016. The escape bid failed, but the incident prompted staff members to suspend work on Monday, saying their safety was at risk due to repeated attempts by inmates, many of whom had been admitted to the centre following police action under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The protest ended later in the day after police assured enhanced deployment at the centre. Nekram Mandyal, manager of the de-addiction centre, said the nature of admissions had changed in recent years. "Earlier, people came here on their own to seek treatment. Now many inmates are brought by the police and they do not want to stay here. Our primary demand is that NDPS cases should not be kept here. If they are admitted, at least five police personnel must remain on duty," he said. Mandyal said staff members were working under pressure with limited safeguards. "Our staff is paid very low salaries and there is no security cover or insurance. If something happens to anyone, there is no system to support them," he said, referring to a previous incident in which a security guard was assaulted and continues to attend court proceedings without any institutional follow-up. Police have ensured the staff and assured them that six police personnel would now be deployed at the centre in two shifts. Earlier, only one policeman was posted per shift. The Sector-66 centre, which was initially a 50-bedded facility, was expanded to 100 beds and currently houses 85 inmates. It has two psychiatrists and offers counselling services, family therapy, and vocational training programmes including computer skills, mobile repair, electronics training and soap making. Chief medical officer Dr Sangeeta Jain said those involved in escape attempts were largely inmates brought in through police action. "People who come voluntarily usually stay and follow the treatment process. Most escape attempts involve those admitted under NDPS cases," she said. SP PBI Deepika Singh, who visited the centre after the incident, said the police would convey the staff's concerns to the administration. "We will take up the issues raised and try to resolve them," she said. The centre has seen repeated escape attempts in the past year, including a mass breakout during a power outage in June 2025 and a violent incident in September in which security guards were assaulted, underlining the continuing tension between rehabilitation objectives and custodial responsibility....