Bantwal central jail construction project progressing rapidly

Plans to move the Mangaluru District Jail to Bantwal taluk are moving forward. A new high-security central prison will be built on 63 acres of land in Cheluru and Kurnadu villages. This is necessary because the current jail houses many inmates linked to organized crime. The new facility will hold up to 1,009 inmates and has received a budget of Rs 110 crore. Home Minister G. Parameshwara announced that a compound wall for the new prison has already been constructed, costing Rs 2.1 crore. He mentioned that the first phase of construction is complete. The Public Works Department (PWD) has estimated that the second phase will cost Rs 195 crore, and work will continue based on available funding. In recent news, nine drug-related cases have been reported at the current Mangaluru jail. Police have also investigated an incident where an unknown person threw a package into the jail from the nearby road. To improve security, the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) staff are now conducting searches at the jail, including surprise checks in the cells. As of March 14, the district jail has 352 inmates, with 331 men and 21 women. It employs 210 staff, including 200 men and 10 women.