Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore   

Work on new prisons has begun: Minister

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Aug. 11. The construction of new prisons and the modernisation of some of the existing ones had commenced with the Union Government's financial assistance and it would go a long way in providing appropriate accommodation to the prisoners, the Minister of State for Prisons, Raja Amareshwar Naik, said here today.

He told presspersons that based on the requirements, prisons would be constructed in all the new districts, apart from shifting the existing ones (in some of the district headquarters) which were located in congested places.

The prison modernisation scheme was being implemented over a five-year period and Rs. 10.77 crore would be spent every year. There were 96 prisons in the State and most of them were in a dilapidated condition, and it was the first time after Independence that the prisons were being renovated and expanded.

While the Union Government had extended 75 per cent assistance, the State would contribute the rest, and the total cost of the scheme would be Rs. 54 crore.

Some of the places where new prisons would come up were Bagalkot, Tumkur, Chitradurga, Haveri, Ramanagaram, and Chintamani. The new Bangalore prison on the outskirts of the city would also be modernised while the old Central Jail at Gandhinagar had already been handed over to the Horticulture Department for the development of a park. Mr. Naik said the project would also cover improvements in sanitation and water supply in prisons and construction of staff quarters. More than that of accommodating convicts, the prisons in Karnataka faced the problem of housing undertrials. All the high profile undertrials such as Muthappa Rai and Karim Lala were lodged in the Central Prison in Bangalore.

The authorities had also set up two courts in the Bangalore Prison to prevent the risk of moving the high profile prisoners from and to the city.

On the reported remark by the former Director-General of Prisons, H.T.Sangliana, over certain irregularities in the Central prison, the Minister said the prison was now under the charge of a Deputy Inspector of Police and corrective steps had already been implemented. The changes were introduced by the former DGP, M.D.Singh, whose services were appreciated.

Mr. Naik ruled out the remission of sentence and release of any prisoner on the occasion of Independence Day, and said 72 convicts had been released on the occasion of Republic Day. Remission of sentence was a regular feature and the Government had released an adequate number of them so far this year, he said.

Referring to the Home Guards, he said there was a proposal to increase their strength from 18,500 to 23,500. The daily allowance being paid to them would also be increased from Rs. 70 to Rs. 110, he added.

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