COIMBATORE: The new prison set to replace the Coimbatore Central Prison is unlikely to be ready anytime soon owing mainly due to difficulties encountered during excavation at the project site.
The construction of the facility at Bilichi village on Onnipalayam Road is progressing at a very slow pace.
Initially expected to be completed within 11 months, not a single block has been constructed so far. Officials now estimate that the project will require an additional two years for completion.
The delays are primarily caused by substantial bedrock underground at the construction site.
The Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation (TNPHC) is overseeing the construction and has engaged a contractor based in Erode for the Phase I work, which was scheduled to be completed within 11 months. However, locals allege that work has not even started at the basement level.
Officials from the prison department confirmed that the site for the new complex is filled with rocks several feet deep, causing significant delays in construction. They indicated that at least two more years would be needed for completion.
"Only after removing the bedrock can construction of the prison complex begin. Earthwork has not yet been completed in the area designated for the complex. So far, approximately 80% of the bedrock has been cut and removed. Meanwhile, construction has started in sections where the rocks have been cleared. It took four months just to cut and remove the rocks to reach the initial phase of construction. We estimate that two additional years will be required to complete all work in Phase I, and another year will be necessary for Phase II," said a senior official from the Prison Department.
The state government has allocated 95.70 acres in Bilichi village, near Karamadai, to the Prison Department for the relocation of the Coimbatore Central Prison.
The construction of the new prison will take place in two phases. Phase I has begun with a fund allocation of Rs211.57 cr, launched by Chief Minister MK Stalin on May 19, 2025. This phase is designed to accommodate 2,500 male prisoners and will include a hospital, an administrative block, a kitchen block, a compound wall, residences for the superintendent, additional superintendent, and jailor, as well as 111 staff quarters. Phase II will focus on constructing a separate facility for 500 women prisoners.
Established in 1872 on 165 acres, the existing Coimbatore Central Prison currently houses around 2,300 prisoners, including 100 women. This facility includes not only prisoner cells but also factories, warehouses, gardens, hospitals, and residences for prison staff.
After returning to power, the DMK government revived its plan to establish Semmozhi Poonga on a part of the land where the current prison is located. Approximately 45 acres have been allocated for Semmozhi Poonga, while the prison continues to operate on the remaining area.