Tripura to get new central jail

A jail meant to hold 975 prisoners, arguably the biggest in India's northeast, was inaugurated in Tripura Friday by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

The jail is located at Bishalgarh in western Tripura's Sipahijala district.

Jail Minister Manindra Lal Reang said the new jail, also called a correctional centre, was built on 32.62 acres at a cost of Rs.64 crore.

It is fitted with several automated close circuit televisions and modern watch towers to keep a round-the-clock check on every nook and corner of the complex, the minister told reporters.

It will have a 20-bed hospital. It will also have separate playgrounds and physical exercise centres for male and female prisoners as well as entertainment systems, built by state-owned Engineering Projects India Ltd.

"We do not want to call it a jail, we want to make it a truly correctional centre," said the chief minister.

The 139 years old existing central jail in Agartala with a capacity to hold 355 inmates would be dismantled and a science college and a botanical garden are likely to be constructed on its 17 acres.