Ranchi, Oct. 10: Jharkhand High Court today directed the state government to ensure that the lay-out plans, blue print and the designs for the construction of the new jail complex at Ghaghidih, Jamshedpur, is completed within two months.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice V.K.Gupta and Justice Hari Shankar Prasad passed the directions while hearing a writ petition filed by Rajneesh Misra.

The court has directed the state government to complete the plan of the construction work including an estimate of expenditure allocation and issuance of tender by January, February and March 2003.

On October 7 a fresh affidavit had been filed by the under secretary, department of home, government of Jharkhand, in accordance with the earlier order passed by the High Court.

The under secretary has admitted in his affidavit that there is an over-crowding in Sakchi Jail and had informed the court that the government has taken a policy decision to construct a district jail at Ghaghidih.

The capacity of the jail would be 1200 prisoners.

The state government intends to vacate Sakchi Jail after the construction of a new one at Ghaghidih and use the land and property at Sakchi for public purpose.

“We approve this policy of the state government. We have been informed by the under-secretary, Home department, of the government plan of a central jail the land of which has been made available. The government can consider constructing a central jail at Ghaghidih, by way of long term planning so that the prisoners, specially the convicts from the neighbouring districts of Jamshedpur can be lodged” the court observed.