The Social Justice and Human Rights Committee of Parliament has called for prison reforms to better the living conditions of inmates across the country.

A team from the committee inspected the Kaski District Prison on Monday and saw the convicts there living in an appalling state, packed in small cells with leaky roofs and limited facilities.

Sushil Kumar Shrestha, chairman of the committee, said the government should be serious about renovation and maintenance of old prison facilities. “Overcrowded prisons and lack of health care access are major problems faced by prisoners. There should be a bigger and better facility to accommodate the prisoners. It is about respecting basic human rights,” Shrestha said.

There are 740 inmates in the prison that was originally built to hold only 100 people.