Thane and Nagpur Jails to be Shifted for Redevelopment

The Maharashtra government has approved the relocation of Thane and Nagpur central jails to make way for redevelopment projects.

The Thane jail will be shifted to a 50-acre plot at Pise village in Bhiwandi, while the Nagpur jail will move to a 180-acre plot in Chincholi village, located over 20 km from its current site. This decision comes after CM Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde gave the go-ahead last week.

The home department has started the shifting process, as the number of inmates continues to rise. As per new central norms, jails must now be built on plots larger than 70 acres. An extra 22 acres have also been requested for the Thane jail to meet these standards.

The current Thane jail is inside a 290-year-old fort, which is a protected heritage structure. It cannot be demolished or rebuilt. The Thane Municipal Corporation has proposed turning the old jail into a museum. Officials said land transfer processes may take about a year before construction of the new jails can begin.