144-year-old jail undergoing facelift in Odisha’s Cuttack; museum in cell no-15

Cuttack: With a historicity of around 144 years, the monumental jail in Cuttack is undergoing thorough development and beautification. The facelift work is being carried out on war footing.

According to a source, after a gap of several decades, the beautification work is being carried out. After completion, it will be inaugurated mostly following the General Elections 2024. Cell No-15 is being converted into a museum and several objects of olden times will be on display in it.

The jail will be a good source of information for students, researchers, and the younger generation. This old reformatory in Cuttack is a witness to India’s freedom movement. Many freedom fighters were then jailed in it, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1864 at Dargah Bazaar in the city.

The reformatory became fully functional after completion in 1881. Interestingly, prisoners were lodged in the jail even before its completion. In 1875, the inmates started making different items under a vocational training programme. Handmade papers were in good demand during those days.

In 1912, the jail was upgraded to District Jail; and subsequently, it became a Central Jail in 1936. As the number of inmates gradually increased, a new Central Jail was established in Choudwar in 1988.

Notably, the development work is being done at a cost of Rs 22 Crore, an administrative official said.