Even after five months, no decision has been made to repair or rebuild the dilapidated Lamjung Prison building, and prisoners and detainees have been transferred elsewhere.
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Lamjung Prison, located in Besisahar, the Lamjung district headquarters, which was built in 2028 BS, has collapsed four times as of Asad 32. Lamjung Prison, which has been repaired and put into operation several times, has not seen any signs of repair even five months after the last collapse.
The western wall near the main gate of the prison collapsed due to the dilapidated building, dilapidated walls, earthquakes and incessant rains. The prison, which has a capacity of 35, usually housed more than 100 prisoners. There were 108 prisoners when the wall collapsed. They were saved because the wall collapsed not towards the prisoners but towards the prison administration.
After the prison collapsed, 109 prisoners, including one person who was in the police office's detention cell, were transferred to prisons in Damauli and Pokhara on July 30. This was the first incident in Lamjung where a prison had to be completely evacuated. At that time, when the prisoners refused to be transferred, they were transferred with the assurance that the prison building would be repaired within three months. However, even five months after the collapse, the Lamjung prison has not been repaired.
Prison administrator Beni Bahadur Moktan was transferred on July 31. Meanwhile, Chief District Officer Madhav Prasad Pokharel was also transferred. Dr. Tokraj Pandey was transferred in the third week of Kartik. Prison Administrator Bhim Kumar Basnet was transferred just a few days ago. ‘I came just a few days ago. I will take all the information about the prison and take the initiative for its repair,’ he said.
After the prison office collapsed, the prison administration requested the Federal Urban Development and Building Construction Office, Kaski, for technical assistance along with a cost estimate on July 4. On Bhadra 5, the District Administration Office requested the Federal Urban Development and Building Construction Office, Kaski, for facilitation. On Bhadra 16, the Infrastructure Development Office was requested for technical and financial assistance for the repair or reconstruction of the building. On Bhadra 22, the Infrastructure Development Office was requested for the DPR stating that reconstruction was necessary.
‘It is said that a budget of 20-25 lakhs will be required for the repair. It is said that 170 million will be required for the reconstruction. "There is no decision yet on whether to repair or rebuild," said Deputy Superintendent Radhika Regmi, who has taken over the responsibility of the acting prison administrator.
Chief District Officer Dr. Tokraj Pandey said that a budget has been requested from the provincial government for the repair of the prison building. "There is a technical estimate that it will cost 170 million to rebuild the prison building at that location. It is believed that a prison should not be built in the middle of a settlement," he said, "We will facilitate it. There may be a situation where prisoners and prisoners will have to be repaired at the current location. In the long term, the prison building should be built elsewhere."
When the district headquarters was shifted from Kunchha in Lamjung to Besisahar, the Lamjung Prison building was constructed using stone and soil in 2028 BS. The prison was built during its establishment. This prison located in Besisahar Municipality-8, Sera, was damaged by the earthquake of April 2072. The prison is not only dilapidated but also in a state of disrepair, according to the staff.
The north wall of the prison, which was torn apart by the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks, collapsed on 29th Jestha 2072. Before that, the east wall collapsed on 4th Shrawan 2069. The east wall collapsed in 2060 BS and was repaired, but it collapsed again nine years later. Although it is said that the prison walls have collapsed several times before this, the prison office has no official record of it.
