Berhampur: The much-awaited new special sub-jail building at Bhanjanagar, about 80 km from here in Ganjam district, was inaugurated by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday.The new sub-jail building constructed at a cost of around Rs 12 crore can accommodate around 300 inmates, including 250 men and 50 women. The jail that took five years to build has 12 cells to house hardcore criminals, official sources said. The new jail has school and hospital buildings, sources said.“It will take about a fortnight to shift inmates to the new building. Police will provide security during the shifting,” said superintendent, Bhanjanagar jail, Sarbeswar Sahu. The government will decide how the old building of the jail can be used, he said.Shifting of prisoners from the 100-year-old jail to the new building was required due to frequent jailbreaks and murder of an under-trial prisoner in 2013. An under-trial prisoner, allegedly involved in 40 different cases, including a bank dacoity, fled from the jail by jumping over its high walls in September last year.The old jail is located close to a residential area near the bus stand and very close to a hill. Hardcore criminals have escaped from the jail by using a ladder on the outer wall of the jail facing the hill.Jail authorities decided to construct a new jail of 300-inmate capacity. The construction started in 2014 by the state-owned Odisha Police Housing Corporation (OPHC).Besides the new building of the sub jail, chief minister also inaugurated the newly-constructed bus stand (Rs 6.33-crore) and town hall (Rs 2.93 crore) at Bhanjanagar. The total cost of all three projects was Rs 21.26 crore. He also laid the foundation stone for 24 projects worth around Rs 86.69 crore. The projects include 12 roads, flood protection wall of Kokalaba, three bridges and shelter homes for the homeless.

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