Sambalpur: Uncertainty over the prospect of the state’s second open jail inside a reserved forest under Jujumura tehsil in this district continued even as eight years have passed since the announcement of the project.
The second open jail aimed at providing vocational training to the convicts who have been serving life term so that they can lead a better life after their release from the jail. However, the fate of this ambitious project hangs fire after the forest department was reluctant to hand over the land for the purpose.
After the successful run of the first open jail at Jamujhari near Bhubaneswar in 2009, the state government proposed for the second one inside a forest in Sambalpur district. A stretch of 226 acre was also identified for the purpose while Rs 3.28 crore was kept aside for it. The concerned department even started constructing a compound wall and other infrastructure to house the prisoners with good conduct as soon as possible.
However, the forest department interfered in the matter. During a survey it was learnt that nearly 116 acre of the project came under forest land category. The construction was stalled as the forest department refused to part with the land.
The incomplete wall had crumbled and the building looks like a ghost house. According to sources, the government had sanctioned about Rs 87 lakh in two phases for the construction of the jail compound while Rs 41.57 lakh was granted to set up a dormitory for prisoners. Similarly, Rs 70 lakh was earmarked for workshop, Rs 11.33 lakh for poultry farming, Rs 13.77 lakh for dairy farming, Rs 20 lakh from brick manufacturing and Rs 12.93 lakh for toilets. Out of this, Rs 1.07 crore has already been spent.
Meanwhile, superintendent of Sambalpur circle jail submitted a fresh application with Jujumura tehsildar in July 2016 for demarcation of the land for the proposed open jail. Tehsil officials took note of the matter after six months and after a joint survey it was learnt that only 109 acre is left for the project.
So far there are no words from the forest department whether the land belonging to them would be spared for the project.
When local MLA, MP and the district administration maintain silence on the future roadmap of the project, jailor Sushant Rout was found optimistic on the issue.
“In the first phase, some 100 prisoners would be brought from various jails on the basis of their conduct and behaviour and they would be given vocational training here,” Rout said. The dispute would be resolved very soon and the project may see the light of the day in 2018, he added. PNN