LAMJUNG, FEBRUARY 21

The building is dilapidated, rooms crowded and stench emanates continuously from the nearby toilet. The scene is unmanaged and seedy. But, the inmates are bound to stay inside.

The district jail here does not meet the standard. The law has the provision that an inmate needs space of at least one metre length and four metre width. But the authorities have crammed 92 inmates in the jail which can only accommodate 35 persons.

The captives are now suffering much due to the cold in the district jail at Ward No 8 of Beshisahar Municipality.

A prisoner serving jail term for four years, Subash Ranabhat, said, 'We suffer the worst during the cold and summer seasons. We're compelled to sleep on the floor even during the cold.'

He further said the inmates' toilets are also overcrowded.

'In the morning, we have to wait for hours for our turn to go to toilet,' he added.

Similarly, another inmate serving jail term for murder for the last seven years, Jivan Adhikari, said, 'Everywhere, the surface is damp. Two to four persons get common cold every day. But, no initiative is taken to address the problem.'

He further said they were living with the fear of contracting coronavirus, though the risk of coronavirus is relatively low at present.

Another prisoner Mangal Bahadur Gurung also shared similar harrowing plight. 'Bug bite is another pressing problem due to lack of sanitation facility here. Till midnight, we're busy killing bugs as bugs disturb our sleep,' he explained.

In this regard, Information Officer at the jail Ramesh BK said the jail needed eight ropani land for proper management of inmates. But the jail has been built on only four ropani land. The prison was set up in 1968.

Assistant Chief District Officer Anil Kumar Sahi admitted that the building was very old and other necessary facilities were lacking, resulting in misery for inmates. He also complained that although recommendation was made for better management of the jail, no further efforts were taken by the higher-ups in this regard.

Currently, there are 92 prisoners - 81 males and 11 females in the district prison.