Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced a plan to transfer Tihar Jail to the outskirts of the city, as well as set up Rs 10 crore in a budget of 2025-26 for survey and counseling services related to transfer of jail.
Established in 1958, Tihar Jail is one of the largest jail premises in India, including nine jails spread over 400 acres – a prison in Rohini and six jails in Mandoli.
The Chief Minister of Delhi, while presenting the budget in the assembly, said, “To reduce the congestion in the existing Tihar jail premises for the welfare of prisoners, a new plan has been prepared for the development of a new jail complex by transferring the existing Tihar jail complex to another place.”
Located in West Delhi, Tilak Nagar and Hari Nagar areas of Tihar city are close. Originally designed to keep around 10,025 prisoners, currently it has over 19,000 prisoners, causing congestion and safety challenges. The Delhi government has taken the initiative to develop new jail premises in Narela to reduce congestion.
Meanwhile, a source in Tihar Jail said, “We had also sought a place in Bapraula, but we could not find that due to encroachment. Although we have written to the Delhi government to provide 100 acres of land elsewhere.” The source said that the jail number 1 to 9 is designed to keep around 5,000 prisoners, but currently there are more than 12,000 prisoners. The source said, “Jail number 10 to 16 is designed to keep about 3,700 prisoners, but currently more than 3,900 prisoners are kept. Jail number 4 in Tihar and 12 in Mandoli Jail are known as ‘Mulaija Jail’, which means the first time crime. We have a large number of prisoners.”
The source also said that a short -term proposal has been made to re -prepare the jail and increase it to two floors, which will make the capacity three times. “This will make the space enough to live for five to ten years,” the source said. The Chief Minister also announced the formation of a society under the aegis of Delhi Jail in his budget. The society will focus on the improvement and rehabilitation of prisoners. This will achieve it by developing their overall skills through various skill-addition programs. Additionally, the society will make the functioning of various factories and manufacturing units professional within jails.
Delhi government offices, ministry and departments will also give priority in purchasing products made in Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli jail premises. On the condition of anonymity, an official said that the consumption of the products made by the prisoners is usually in Tihar Jail and is also sold through some shops, which are known as ‘Tihar Haat’. The earnings from these shops are very low, but this decision will earn more prisoners.
