VELLORE: Just a month after its opening, the daycare and tuition centre at Vellore Central Prison is closed.
According to officials, Vellore Central Prison, which has around 300 staff members, launched the daycare to take care of the kids of prison staff in September last year following a request from prison officials. The facility was inaugurated by former DGP Amresh Pujari at the female prison staff quarters.
The centre was designed to provide educational and recreational amenities for the children, including drawing lessons and other play activities. A small library with a collection of 100 books was also set up along with it. However, sources confirmed that the daycare was operational for only one month before being abruptly closed without prior notice.
“Several prison staff, which includes couples, often rely on neighbours to look after their children,” said a source.
Initially, the staff utilised the facility. However, it was closed during the tenure of former Vellore Range DIG Rajalakshmi due to the lack of staff to maintain the facility. “We used to leave our children at the daycare while we attended to our duties. But it was closed as there is no staff to manage it,” the source added.
When contacted by TNIE, the prison authorities said, “The daycare was used by the staff for a few days after its inauguration but was left unused thereafter. We will review the situation and work towards reopening it.”