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Maharashtra government moots relocating central prisons

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Arthur Road jail is crammed with 3,000 prisoners
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In order to decongest areas and make the surrounding vicinities development-friendly, the state government has decided to relocate central prisons from cities. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that a committee headed by chief secretary Swadhin Kshatriya will be set up to look into the matter.

"The appointed committee will study all aspects and will take the views of stakeholders before submitting its report to the government. We will incorporate all suggestions while framing the policy," said Fadnavis.
Relocation will pave way for redevelopment

Most of the jails are overcrowded with inmates. The Arthur Road jail is crammed with 3,000 prisoners against its capacity of 700. This jail was constructed in 1926 by the British authorities and inmates still reside in those buildings.

The chief minister said that they would amend the prison manuals to relocate Arthur Road jail from the city or allow the adjoining residents to redevelop their buildings.

"Currently, as per Supreme Court directives, no development is allowed in a 500- metre radius of the compound wall of the prison and this has put on hold many redevelopment projects in the city. We will study the national prison manuals because according to that manual construction is allowed in 150 metres from the jail. Within a month, we will have concrete solutions," said Fadnavis.

Plan to construct integrated jails
Informing that most of the times jail authorities have to take inmates to court by arranging for the transport, he said: "It is quite risky to ferry the infamous accused. The 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab's trail was done through video-conferencing. It's a safer way and it also reduces the cost of transport and mitigates the risk of ferrying the accused in a police vehicle. We will try to connect all the prisons with video-conferencing services. We will try and construct integrated jails which will hold jail, court and hospital buildings in the same premises."

Arthur Road prison hampering construction
Shiv Sena legislator Sunil Shinde said that the Arthur Road jail had hampered development in its vicinity. "People near the jail are forced to stay in dilapidated buildings since they cannot be developed. I hope the government will relocate all central jails and use the existing jail space for the construction of government departments," said Shinde.

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