Kalikot prison holds inmates at over double capacity
Although the prison was originally designed to accommodate only 22 inmates — 15 male and 7 female — it is now home to 52 prisoners.
KATHMANDU: The Kalikot District Prison is currently housing more than double its intended capacity, raising serious concerns about the safety and well-being of inmates.
Although the prison was originally designed to accommodate only 22 inmates — 15 male and 7 female — it is now home to 52 prisoners.
This severe overcrowding has been confirmed by the prison’s chief, Jailer Man Bahadur Bik.
“The prison building is old and fragile. In the event of an earthquake, the lives of the inmates would be at great risk,” said Jailer BK. “The infrastructure is already cramped, making life extremely difficult for the prisoners.”
According to Bik, although funds were once allocated for the construction of a new prison building, the budget — totaling around Rs 10 million — had to be returned due to challenges in site development. “The upper area of the prison compound is steep and hilly. A large portion of the budget would have been needed just to level the land,” he added.
Chief District Officer Narayan Prasad Bhattarai of Kalikot confirmed that the provincial government has prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the construction of a new facility. “We’ve also discussed the issue of land scarcity. There are ongoing talks about relocating inmates temporarily to enable the construction of a new building,” Bhattarai stated. “Managing such a high number of inmates in a low-capacity facility has become increasingly difficult.”
Authorities are now exploring viable solutions to address the dire conditions and ensure a safer, more humane environment for the incarcerated individuals.
