Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has announced a substantial boost for prison reforms, doubling the allocated funds to ₹10 crore. Minister for Natural Resources, S. Regupathy, shared this update during the second day of the Assembly session. Previously, the government had set aside ₹5 crore for these initiatives.
In response to a query from PMK MLA R. Arul regarding the construction of new residential quarters for police personnel at Salem Central Prison, Minister Regupathy highlighted the current state of existing housing. He mentioned that out of 223 residential quarters, 89 were built before 1980 and are now vacant due to poor condition. While 134 units have been constructed between 2001 and 2024, with ₹18 lakh spent on maintenance over the last three years, Arul suggested this amount was insufficient.
Regupathy further elaborated that 50 of the older apartments are vacant and will be demolished to make way for new constructions once funds are available. He confirmed the increase in the prison reform budget to ₹10 crore, attributing it to inflation and acknowledging the recommendations from the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation for new housing projects.
Additionally, the Minister addressed concerns about the women’s prison, stating that steps for relocation to a facility with better amenities will be taken after land acquisition, which is currently being processed by the district administration.
In a separate query, DMK MLA A.M.V. Prabhakara Raja inquired about the possibility of constructing a multi-purpose commercial complex in Virugambakkam. Minister for Housing, Prohibition, and Excise, S. Muthusamy, responded that the matter would be considered after consulting officials, noting that previous plans for a residential building at the same location might affect the feasibility of a new complex.