CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to come up with proposals along with deadlines to enhance the capacity of jails.
While hearing a PIL, the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice RK Pattanaik instructed the government to inform the court on the exact time schedule by which the present individual capacity of the jails will be enhanced including the severely congested jails of Bhadrak, Baliguda, Jajpur, Malkangiri, Koraput and Balasore. The details on such proposals has to be placed before it on May 17, the date fixed for next hearing on the PIL. “From the chart presented to the court it is seen that in the two jails at Jajpur and Baliguda, the overcrowding is still in excess of 100 per cent whereas in some others it ranges from 50 per cent to 100 per cent. Eight prisons have 20 per cent to 50 per cent,” the bench observed.
There are 87 jails in the State. “It appears that the committee set up by the court has been holding regular meetings and this has helped somewhat to tackle the problem. Yet, much more needs to be done”, the bench also observed.