The delay in completion of the Mansa district jail is adding to the problems of an overcrowded Bathinda Central Jail. Presently, the Bathinda jail has 1,791 inmates as against its capacity of housing 1,146 inmates. Of the total inmates, 780 relate to cases lodged at Mansa district. The Bathinda jail was designed to house 1,014 men and 132 women.

However, 1,683 men and 108 women are languishing in it at present.

According to the report of the Superintendent, Bathinda Jail, submitted to the Punjab Government, till October 19, there are 401 convicts and 610 undertrials from Bathinda district. Besides, there are 355 convicts and 425 undertrials from Mansa district.

The Mansa jail, a modern jail, has been built with a capacity of housing 450 inmates. Presently, the work on housing 433 inmates has been completed while other barracks are under construction.

"Against the built capacity of 450, at least 700 to 800 inmates could be transferred to the Mansa jail bringing much needed relief to the overpopulated Bathinda jail," said one of the officials at Bathinda jail.

It is learnt that District and Sessions Judge SK Aggarwal has taken up the matter with the Registrar General, Punjab and Haryana High Court, highlighting the urgent need to shift inmates from Bathinda to Mansa.

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