Maharashtra bans construction of buildings within 150 metres of central jails

The Maharashtra government, in its latest notification, has banned all construction activities within 150-metre radius around jails in the state. 

The decision came via notification from the Devendra Fadnavis-led Home department under the Maharashtra Prisons (Prison buildings and sanitary arrangement) (Amendment) Rules, 2015.

The rule will not allow construction of buildings within a 150-metre radius around central prison, 100 metres around district prison and 50 metres of open prison. According to a Home department official, the newly amended rule is along the lines of the Central Jail Manual.

The rule has mellowed the earlier norm that required a 182-metre buffer zone around all three types of prisons in the state.

"The new rule will ensure clear definition to the 'no development zone' around the prison area and set aside allegations that biased decisions by the state allowed certain developers to carry out construction extremely close to the jail facilities," the senior official said.

He added that the new order will assist in beefing up the security cover around both Arthur Road and Taloja prisons, which house the most-wanted criminals in the state. 

With the amended rule, prisons across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Pune, Aurangabad, Nagpur and others will not have any structure looming excessively close to their perimeter wall - endangering the security of the facility and its inmates.