District to have own lock-up

 By ZACHERY PER

REMOTE Gembogl district in Chimbu will soon have its own rural lock-up.

Correctional Services Commissioner Martin Balthazar and Kundiawa-Gembogl MP Tobias Kulang yesterday launched the programme at Goglme station.

Kulang thanked the Correctional Services and Justice and Attorney-General departments for choosing Goglme to set up the facility.

He said government presence had been missing in his district for the last several years and to have CS coming in was like seeing the “light at the end of the tunnel”.

Kulang urged the people to be prepared to take responsibility and ownership of such development initiatives.

“We must focus on impact project, law and order is paramount to instill peace and order and I am committed to ensuring law and order is maintained in the district,” he said.

He also thanked the people of Goglme for allocating land for the rural lock-up.

The parliamentarian presented K50,000 to Balthazar as initial deposit to draw plans for the new rural lock-up.

Balthazar thanked Kulang and the people of Goglme for allowing the CS department to establish the rural lock up facility in their area.

He said CS would ensure that the facility was built to accommodate 50 to 100 detainees at any one time. Work would start soon after building designs and plans were completed.

Chimbu Governor Noah Kool, who attended the occasion, commended Kulang and Balthazar for the project.

He reiterated that the provincial budget of K226 million focused at rural districts such as Gembogl.

He said they would be giving all districts the opportunities to participate in the development process over the next five years.