The wait is over. The state’s maiden open jail at Buxar will be operational from May 23. Chief minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate it in the course of his Seva Yatra to the district.

Total 74 prisoners would stay with their families at the jail. The convicts completing 10 years of imprisonment and having good conduct were selected for accommodation in the jail, around 150km from the state capital.

Inspector-general (prisons) Anand Kishore visited the jail on Friday evening to take stock of its preparations. “The jail is now ready to accommodate the convicts with their families in an environment conducive to development of their skills and talent so that they could make useful contributions to society,” he said.

On his return from Buxar, Kishore told The Telegraph that 73 selected prisoners from the central jails at Beur (Patna), Gaya and Bhagalpur had been transferred to Buxar Central Jail. From there, they would be shifted to the open jail. A prisoner lodged in Motihari Central Jail would be shifted in a day or two.

The IG (prisons) clarified that initially 75 prisoners were to be housed in the jail. But one of the two prisoners lodged at Motihari Central Jail walked out of the prison as he completed the jail term. “Now we have only 74 prisoners to be accommodated at the newly built open jail,” he added.