17 UP prisons to have solar power back-up units

The Uttar Pradesh government will install solar power back-up units in 17 prisons of the state to strengthen their security systems and ensure functioning of mobile phone jammers.
The government has approved Rs 10.82 crore for this project, an official statement stated.
"For successful operation of mobile phone jammers, solar energy-based power back-up units will be installed in the jails. Rs 10.82 crore has been approved for the project. And, the request for Rs 4.32 crore as an advance to PEC Limited has also been approved," said the release issued by the UP government's jail administration and reforms department.
The Project and Equipment Corporation of India Limited (PEC Limited) is an enterprise under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

In June this year, the Uttar Pradesh Police had written to the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), asking it ensure that the jammers installed in the state prisons are able to block 4G mobile telecommunication signals as well.
Officials said that in the coming years 70 jails in UP will have the 4G jamming mechanism in place.
While around a dozen jails have jammers installed on their premises and the process is on to install some more but these are able to block only the second (2G) or the third generation (3G) wireless mobile phones.