Maha open jail to get fresh lease of life with facelift

A unique open colony for prisoners which inspired V.Shantaram's magnum opus 'Do Aankhen Barah Haath' will get a new lease of life.

The state has sanctioned construction of new quarters for inmates at the Swatantrapur Open Colony at Atpadi in Sangli district. The prison colony is the first of its kind in India sans restrictions of conventional prisons. Convicts can stay here with their families like free men to enable their rehabilitation and integration into society after their release.

Set up by Bhawanrao (Balasaheb) Pantpratinidhi, the erstwhile ruler of Aundh in 1939, it aims at reforming prisoners instead of turning them into more hardened criminals in traditional jails. Pantpratinidhi was inspired by Polish humanitarian Maurice Frydman "Bharatananda" to establish the colony. The experiment motivated the legendary film-maker's 1957 classic, which was later nominated for the Golden Globe.

Despite its capacity of 28 prisoners, lack of habitable quarters at Swatantrapur has led to just three prisoners and their families being housed there. Officials lament that they lack enough hands to work on farms in the around 70 acre premises. However, after the Rs 2.17 crore construction is completed in April, the colony will be able to house new inmates.

Bhushan Kumar Upadhyaya, additional director general of police (prisons), told DNA that new constructions in the open colony had been sanctioned. "Prisoners with exemplary conduct are selected from open jails using strong parameters," he noted, adding they could farm and sell produce in nearby areas. Upadhyaya added they had sent a proposal to the state government for selecting more inmates.

"Construction started recently and may be completed by April… this will include 29 dwellings, including one for staff," noted Ashok Kadam, superintendent, Swantrapur open colony. "We could use just around 15 of the old rooms as the rest were dilapidated," he added.

"The size of the dwellings will be increased from around 180 sq ft to 225 sq ft with more ventilation. A reason for few inmates being housed there was the dilapidated condition of these rooms," explained another official, stating they may expand the facility considering the thrust on open prisons.

"The old rooms belonged to the British era and were uninhabitable," said local Shiv Sena MLA Anil Babar adding he was working on an approach road to the open colony.

The convicts at Swantantrapur see a part of their sentence remitted by the state and have easier access to parole and furlough.