Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Central nod awaited

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government is awaiting clearance from the Centre for the Rs.536 crore project for modernisation of prisons in the State, Minister for Home and Tourism Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said on Friday.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the new blocks of the sub-jail at Central prison premises at Poojappura here, Mr. Balakrishnan said the government hopes that the Centre would soon sanction the project.

The Minister said that the development projects costing Rs. 19.75 crore would be taken up at the prisons in the state this year. Lack of space and proper facilities in these prisons was affecting the cleaning and thus creating health problems and spreading epidemics.

Since 1990, the successive governments had not taken any steps to set up new prisons or improve the facilities in existing ones. He informed that the sub-jails at Kannur, Kozhikode and Viyyur would start functioning soon.

Stating that the inmates of the prison are entitled to human rights like any other citizen, Mr. Balakrishnan said the government had taken a positive view to ensure those rights. The wages for the inmates had been hiked from Rs. 11 to Rs. 23 and again, from Rs. 23 to Rs. 69. The jail rules and those for granting parole have been simplified.

The Home Minister said that 105 prisoners who were serving life sentence and had completed 14 years had already been released.

The government had again taken up the issue of some prisoners who could not be released. “The Governor had reportedly kept the matter pending as he had been transferred to Bihar,” he added.

Mr. Balakrishnan said that indiscipline in the prisons would not be tolerated by the government. The inmates would have to follow the rules and obey the officials.

The Home Minister asserted that the government would not entertain third degree methods in the prison and lock-ups in the state.

“It is against the norms of a civilised society,” he said. The change in the attitude of police officials had helped the state to avoid custodial deaths in the state last year, he added.

Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) K. P. Somarjan, in his welcome address, said an additional 420 inmates could be housed once the new blocks are commissioned. The project, being taken up under Modernisation of Prison Administration, is being executed by Kerala Police Housing and Construction Corporation (KPHCC).

The Minister also inaugurated a coin-operated telephone facility for the inmates of the prison.

V. Sivankutty, MLA, presided over the function. IGP (Prison) Paul Leslie; MD of the KPHCC Y. Anil Kumar; Commissioner of Police, Revada A. Chandrasekhar and top officials of the prison were among those who spoke.

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