The new Shillong District Jail that will be built at the New Shillong Township will greatly ease conditions for inmates as it will have a capacity of 1,000.
The current jail, in the aptly named Jail Road, is operating at nearly three times its 175 capacity with more than 450 inmates.
The new complex will be built on 25 acres of land, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, who is in charge of the Prisons Department, said today following an inspection of the city jail.
“We have decided and it’s finalised to shift this jail from the city to New Shillong,” Dhar said, adding that construction will, however, take time.
Meanwhile, Dhar also inspected the Meghalaya Transport Corporation building nearby. The old complex there has been torn down and redevelopment work is ongoing.
The minister said that the new building will be handed over to the concerned authority within two years and he expressed satisfaction with the progress of the work.
