Photo Courtesy: nenow
Agartala: The Tripura government poured over Rs 2.51 crore into prisoner welfare and victim compensation funds. Home Secretary Brijesh Pandey announced the figures Thursday during a review meeting led by Chief Minister Manik Saha at the Tripura Institution for Transformation. Officials are pushing hard to modernize the state's prison network.
Cash helped 74 undertrial inmates post bail. The state spent Rs 21.60 lakh on this Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme. Meanwhile, officials provided Rs 101.65 lakh to 37 victims in 2025-26 and Rs 26.76 lakh to 15 victims in 2026-27 under the Social Justice and Rehabilitation Scheme. Women survivors also received significant payouts. Tripura distributed Rs 92.45 lakh to 26 women in 2025-26 and Rs 9 lakh to two women in 2026-27 through the Tripura Victim Compensation Scheme.
State leaders adopted the Centre's Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023. They are now drafting the Tripura Prisons and Correctional Services Bill to align with Supreme Court directives and federal guidelines. Infrastructure upgrades remain a priority. The state installed 208 CCTV cameras at Bishalgarh Central Correctional Home and 10 at Kanchanpur Sub-Jail. Workers added electric fencing at Kamalpur and Gandacherra sub-jails, with plans to expand fencing to Bishalgarh. Construction teams are also building a separate women's ward at Udaipur District Jail, a women's cell at Khowai Sub-Jail, and new accommodation at Longtharai Valley Sub-Jail.
Technology is changing how inmates face the law. Inmates made 32,750 virtual court appearances from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026. This happened across 86 courts linked to 12 prisons via 90 new cubicles. Staff now use the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System 2.0 and e-Prisons 2.0 to track fingerprints, FIR numbers, and JIDs. Chief Minister Manik Saha ordered staff to maintain high standards. "Chief Minister Manik Saha directed the department to ensure the security, welfare and overall well-being of prison inmates while further strengthening prison administration across the state."
The state is currently hiring for 263 warder posts. This includes 249 men and 14 women. Officials also plan to fill 16 Senior Computer Assistant vacancies and four Pharmacist slots. Past modernisation efforts utilized Rs 3 crore from 2021-22, while the state awaits approval on a fresh Rs 4.40 crore proposal for 2025-26. The Centre recently greenlit an additional Rs 2 crore for these improvements.
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