Balasore, Oct. 27: The state government has decided to shift the jail from Balasore to facilitate development of civic amenities.

An official release said chief minister Naveen Patnaik asked the home secretary to finalise an action plan on relocation of the jail within a week, after consultation with all the related departments and agencies.

An official source said residents of the district headquarters town have a trying time because of the location of the British era jail in the heart of the town. "Paucity of space and growing population are creating hurdles for the expansion of Balasore. If the jail is relocated, it will give space for development of civic amenities such as parks and shopping malls," said the source.

A plot has been identified in Khantapara on the outskirts of the town and an estimate of Rs 20 crore has been submitted to the government by the district administration.

Local residents from various walks of life welcomed the decision to relocate the jail. Legal practitioner Annapurna Rout said: " The area can be used for several civic amenities and amusement projects."

The secretary of Balasore Senior Citizens Forum, Laxmidhar Behera, said: "Balasore has not seen any major infrastructure projects in recent years because of space constraint. The decision to shift the jail will help beautify the town."

Balasore MP R.K. Jena said: "The jail sprawls over 12 acres of land. Once it is vacated, civil infrastructure can be built on the land."

The government today also decided to build an intercity bus terminus in Balasore. An estimated Rs 5 crore will be spent on the project. Balasore Regional Improvement Trust will fund 80 per cent of the project cost, while the state housing and urban development department will bear the remaining cost. Chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi asked the works department to expedite construction of the terminus.