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Renovation of Koraput jail demanded

CUTTACK: The Orissa Human Rights Commission (OHRC) chairman Justice R.K.Patra has strongly recommended the State Government to immediately renovate the 136-year-old building of the Koraput district jail, which is in an “unsafe” condition.

The recommendations came after the OHRC chairman personally visited the jail along with all the members of the commission and the State prison IG V. Thiagarajan earlier this week.

Justice Patra was particularly upset with the dilapidated condition of the jail building and he was also worried over the poor sanitation inside the jail premises which houses some 730 inmates, including 12 female prisoners against the sanctioned capacity of 450.

OHRC chairman also expressed his displeasure over the drinking water facility inside the jail premises.

It may be recalled here that the Orissa High Court is currently adjudicating over a PIL on the overcrowding and poor living conditions of the jails in the State. Koraput district jail, although, categorised as “A” class jail, it always runs with insufficient staff and currently it has 22 vacancies out of sanctioned strength of 75.

Some 12 posts of male warder are now lying vacant in the jail which houses some 550 convicts, including 400 lifers, sources said.

More appalling, the jail now has five young naxalites, who are from Tamil Nadu and they do not understand any other language except their mother tongue.

These inmates are not able to communicate with any of the fellow inmates or with the staff and are leading a very precarious life inside the four walls of the jail.

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