Tihar to be a lost world no more

05 August,2009 07:58 AM IST |   |  Prawesh Lama

Until now, visitors to Asia's largest prison stood confused as to which ward housed the convict they were looking for. But a new hi-tech system is all set to change this


Until now, visitors to Asia's largest prison stood confused as to which ward housed the convict they were looking for. But a new hi-tech system is all set to change this

Feeling lost in a jail isn't an uncommon thing, but for a visitor to experience it can be quite an ordeal. Asia's largest prison, the Tihar Central Jail, is making sure guests don't have to go through the torture in its premises anymore. As of today, anyone who makes a visit has to spend much time finding out from guards where the inmate in question is housed, given the fact that there is constant shifting of the 11,531 inmates among its nine sub jails. It is also a tedious process for the authorities, since there isn't an organised logging system in place so far. However, all this is about to end.

Tihar Jail File photo

"It's very confusing, and time-wasting, so, we've decided to put a whole recording system in place," said a senior jail official. The in and out inventory will be hi-tech, just like other such mechanisms operating in major prisons across the world. The new trouble-saving setup will be ready in a month's time.


Keeping in mind the many perplexities that arise from semi-automated documentation, the fully automated movement monitor will track information like the date and time of departure and arrival from one ward to another, duration in each sub jail and number and names of visitors and their frequency, apart from conviction details, for security reasons. The computerised interfaces at the check posts at the two main gates will allow access to this data on entering the prisoner's name. A classic case of going alt and shifting perspectives, for a prison that is 51-years-old.

"Yes, we are putting the initiative in place, and it should take about two fortnights to get it going," confirmed BK Gupta, Director General (Prisons), Tihar Central Jail. The current visiting guidelines allow two visits a week for every inmate, scheduled according to alphabetical strength.
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