: The overcrowded Tihar Jail of Delhi would get a much needed breather on July 1, in the shape of the Mandoli Jail complex.
The project, along with two similar ones at Narela and Baprola, were conceived to ease the pressure off the central jail in Tihar, which is forced to accommodate nearly 13,000 inmates despite sanctioned capacity of 6,250. The Mandoli Jail complex, spread over 68 acres in northeast Delhi, will have six different jails for different categories of inmates.
“Work at the Mandoli jail would be complete by June 15 and from July 1, convicts would be transferred to the jail,” Delhi's Home and Public Works Department Minister Satyendar Jain told reporters. The project, which has missed many deadlines before, is being carried out by the PWD.
Mr. Jain told reporters that while construction work is almost complete and the jail be ready by June 15, the recruitment of security staff at the jail is yet to be done and the process would take two more months to be completed.
The Mandoli Jail complex has been built with a capacity to accommodate 3,750 inmates but initially, only 1,500 inmates would be transferred here from Tihar Jail. This will ensure that teething troubles, if any, could be easily addressed before the jail is filled to its capacity.
Mr. Jain said that only those undertrials and convicts lodged in Tihar Jail with a record of good conduct will be shifted to the newly-constructed Mandoli jail. He said that those convicted of heinous crimes or those convicts who are known to be part of any gang will not be transferred to Mandoli jai.
Though at present only those with a record of good conduct will be shifted to Mandoli, Mr. Jain said that a separate cell is also being constructed for high security prisoners. Sources said that earlier, the height of complex walls and watch towers were also raised keeping security concerns in mind as the complex is surrounded by densely populated areas.
The Mandoli Jail will also have state-of-the-art fit for a high security jail.
