Badal approves revised plan for new jails

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today approved the revised plan and design for three new ultra-modern high security jails to be constructed at Amritsar, Bathinda and Muktsar at an estimated cost of Rs 447 crore with in two years.
Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's office said that Badal was presiding over a high level meeting of the Jails department here at his official residence here.
The CM was apprised in the meeting that the construction plan for these Jails had been redesigned to include the facilities for inmates like Dispensary, Training Center, Canteen, Open air theatre, Athletic Track and two separate Kitchens for Under trails and Convicts sections in each jail as per his instructions.

According to new plan and specifications, the estimated cost for the Central Jail Amritsar over an area of 49 acres would be Rs 159 crore and that of 38 acres Central Jail Bathinda would be Rs 180 crore.
Both the jails would have the capacity to accommodate 2000 prisoners in each, whereas the Muktsar Jail would now be constructed at a cost of Rs 98 crore to accommodate 1000 inmates.
In order to reduce the cost of construction to some extant, the CM also approved some changes in the pre-decided specifications like 26 feet high outer walls of the Jails now to be reduced up to 18 feet that would save Rs 6 crore aprox.

Likewise internal walls would also be reduced to 14 feet high instead of 16 feet, besides internal concrete roads now would be of 10 feet width instead of 14 feet, which would result in saving more than Rs 3 crore.

The Chief Minister directed the Jails department to complete the entire consolidated tendering process by the end of June for all these jails to ensure the participation of big construction companies of international repute for quality work in a time bound manner.
He directed to include a strict clause in the tender and agreement documents in terms of heavy penalty against any subletting of the work by concerned company.

Badal also approved first phase plan of Rs 2.50 crore to establish nine types of small Industrial units in various Jails of the state.