Govt to bring in comprehensive Prisons Act

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 2 (UNI) Kerala government would bring in a comprehensive Prisons Act for the state, Governor R L Bhatia announced today.

Addressing the Legislative Assembly here, he said the Prisons Department had made arrangements for video conferencing facilities linking the major criminal courts and jails in the district.

The system would be operational once the amendment to the relevant Sections of Cr P C was made for which action had been initiated.

Mr Bhatia also said the department also proposed to construct a modern prison headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram and a new central prison in Pathanamthitta district, besides taking steps to open more women's prisons in the state.

The government proposed to start a separate court to deal with cases relating to atrocities against women and two special courts to deal with the cases relating to atrocities against members of SC/ST, he added.

Pointing out that the government had initiated many steps to improve the functioning of the police, he said in order to strengthen the investigating machinery, law and order and crime investigation branches would be separated.

As part of modernisation of police, all police stations in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Kannur would be computerized during the year 2007-2008, he said adding it also proposed to introduce community policing in all Corporations and Municipalities in the state.

UNI