If agitated, a new jail tailormade for you

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 9

The Punjab Prisons Department is constructing a jail for lodging protesters, including those involved in political agitations, in the state.

Officials said the need for such a jail was felt to keep the large number of protesting farmers, employees and political activists, who have been arrested or detained, away from those behind bars on criminal charges. The five new barracks, with space for 900 inmates, would come up within the premises of the under-construction Goindwal Jail in Tarn Taran district. 

As many as 200 agitations took place in 2015 as per police records. The exact number of those detained or arrested was not known.

Hundreds of farmers and employees were arrested at different times last year, apart from those booked for violating law and order in the wake of the sacrilege incidents and the controversy over the relief to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief by the Akal Takht. Many were arrested for organising the Sarbat Khalsa in which alleged anti-national statements were made.

Officials said the Goindwal Jail with a capacity for 2,780 inmates would be spread over 84 acres. It will cost about Rs 200 crore.  At present, the 26 jails in the state have space for 18,615 inmates, but house 23,760.