(June 24, Lucknow, Sri Lanka Guardian) With the number of criminals and incidents of crime registering a sharp growth in Uttar Pradesh, it is only to be expected that Lucknow should now boast of the world’s largest prison for undertrials.
The Rs 100-crore project will take off next month on the Mohanlalganj-Gosainganj border on the city’s, not far from where the present jail is located. Spread over 200 acres, the prison will be able to house 3,000 inmates.
A senior official told this newspaper that the project was part of the state government’s plan to decongest prisons in Uttar Pradesh in a phased manner over five years. A majority of UP’s jails now hold inmates far in excess of their capacity, and this leads to frequent clashes between prisoners.
There are plans to construct five new central jails for convicts, 11 new district jails for undertrials and to relocate 12 other prisons located in the middle of major cities. The Kanpur jail, for instance, is in the heart of the city, almost next to the Green Park Stadium, and is now viewed as a major security threat. The Naini central jail in Allahabad is currently UP’s biggest jail, with a capacity of 1,000.
The proposed new prison in Lucknow will have state-of-the-art security equipment, including closed-circuit television cameras in the barracks and courtyards, a centralised control room, double-storey barracks and a large hygienic community kitchen. Other amenities for prisoners, including a playground and gym, are also planned. There will be separate compounds for women and children, which will be totally segregated from the main unit.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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