Kathmandu, Aug 13: Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has acknowledged that some prisons in the country are overcrowded, as many inmates and detainees prefer to remain in facilities located in their home districts and are often reluctant to be transferred elsewhere.
Speaking at a meeting of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives (HoR) today, the Home Minister said the government has pursued a policy of developing prisons into correctional facilities.
“Plans are underway to establish hospitals, factories, schools, playgrounds, and other necessary infrastructure within prison premises.”
Referring to the incident that occurred on the night of August 7 at Dhangadhi Prison, despite the Prisons Act-2079 BS provisions for separate chambers for detainees/inmates with special gender or sexual identities, mental health issues, and those convicted of severe and heinous crimes, such arrangements have not been fully implemented.
Updating the committee on the incident, he said the injured were immediately taken to hospital.
Of the three referred to Kathmandu, two are undergoing treatment at the Trauma Centre, and one at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Maharajgunj. The body of the deceased has already been handed over to the family following completion of legal procedures.
As he informed the meeting, the remaining 45 injured have been discharged from the Seti Provincial Hospital and transferred to other prisons where they face no security threats.
Additionally, 17 individuals identified as ‘leaders’ of the conflicting groups have been relocated.
The Home Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to improving the rights of inmates and detainees by ensuring access to health insurance and other basic services.
are underway for the transfer of the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Rabi Lamichhane, presently detained. He assured that the former minister has not been denied any facilities. Despite the congested condition of the prison, he has been provided with a separate room. “As per my information, the prison management regularly approaches him to take his concerns. However, this does not mean that he is being provided with special treatment,” he clarified.
Acknowledging the urgency for improvements in the prison system, the Minister admitted that budgetary constraints have hindered further progress.
He shared that over 7,000 inmates are currently engaged in productive sectors and highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure quality health services and psychological counseling to inmates, and the implementation of the open prison concept. In the past year alone, over 2,075 inmates were released on parole, he added.
Furthermore, he pledged legal action against those found guilty in connection with the Kailali prison incident, once the investigation committee’s report is made public. He firmly stated that the entry of weapons into prisons is unacceptable.#nepal #political #rss
