408 inmates in Shillong jail meant for 150

SHILLONG: The Shillong jail is overcrowded with as many as 408 inmates lodged there currently, which is a record of sorts. The capacity of the jail is only 150.
An official told The Shillong Times on Thursday that the main reason for overcrowding is the large number of cases under the POCSO and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Acts.
Those who were arrested and sent to judicial custody for rape and drug abuse and peddling have added to the problem of congestion.
According to the official, those who are lodged at the Shillong jail for murder cases are not many compared to those who were sent to the jail for POCSO and NDPS cases.
The Shillong jail caters to several districts, excluding West Jaintia Hills, Ri Bhoi, West Garo Hills and East Garo Hills.
The official said while food is not a problem, accommodation of as many as 408 prisoners as listed on Wednesday will be difficult to handle. Though the Prisons Department had sent the plan to construct a central jail at Mawdiangdiang aimed at decongesting the Shillong jail, the proposal is yet to get nod from the Urban Affairs Department.
Moreover, the construction of Nongstoin jail is still pending as the Planning Department is yet to clear the estimated amount.