Despite repeated political and administrative changes in the country, conditions at the Pyuthan District Prison remain dire. Inmates continue to endure harsh daily life in a cramped facility originally built during the Rana era.
The prison, designed to hold just 25 people, currently houses 98 inmates—71 convicted prisoners (69 men and two women) and 28 detainees (26 men and two women). Overcrowding has made living arrangements and even cooking meals a constant challenge.
“The prisoners here face serious difficulties,” said Surya Bahadur Pant, head of Pyuthan Prison. He noted that many inmates possess skills such as making namlo, damlo, budha, and dhaka topi, but a lack of space has prevented them from pursuing these crafts professionally. Around 45 inmates are skilled in producing such handicrafts, using locally available materials.
Repeated efforts to construct a new prison have stalled due to budget constraints and the absence of proper planning. Although there was once a proposal to convert the Chief District Officer’s residence into a prison, the idea was dropped for security reasons. Mallarani Rural Municipality purchased land worth Rs 500,000 for the project, and local residents raised another Rs 500,000. About 19.5 ropanis of land near the district headquarters, Khalanga, was allocated for the prison around five years ago.
“Before construction, we initiated the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR),” Pant said. “It couldn’t be completed in previous years, but this year, the provincial government has advanced the work.”
In recent years, limited budgets allocated for maintenance have been used to keep the old structure functional. In the fiscal year 2019/20, two new rooms for inmates, along with a kitchen and a room for the Nepal Police barracks, were built. Aside from these additions, only minor repairs have been possible.
“There are severe shortages of drinking water and toilets,” Pant added. “This year, we are constructing water tanks and toilets.” Due to inadequate infrastructure and lack of space, the prison has been unable to offer inmates sports, recreational activities, skill-based training, or larger-scale production programs.
