Bihar inmates can make phone calls

Bihar on Wednesday became the fourth state where prisoners have the freedom to use landline phones.

Now, The jail inmates need not make calls through mobiles phone smuggled illegally, The state government has provided  telephone facilities to around 30,000 inmates lodged in 30 different jails, including eight central prisons, in Bihar.

Inmates can talk to their relatives or advocates through telephone booths installed by BSNL in the jail premises.

Each of the eight central jails will have three telephone booths while the district and sub-jail will have two and one booth respectively.

The move is part of the jail reforms initiated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who, on Wednesday, inaugurated the facility while opening the Bihar Institute of Correctional Administration (BICA), constructed at a cost of Rs 43.5 crore, in Hajipur.

At present, Tihar Jail in Delhi, Chanchalguda Jail in Hyderabad and Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad offer telephone facilities.

"Both the undertrial and convicted prisoners lodged in any Bihar jail can make a call through the landline phone.

"But he or she will be allowed to make calls to only three numbers which will be decided in advance. They cannot call any random number. The three numbers will be verified by the local police before allowing them to make a call. And most importantly, each call will recorded and has to be made in front of any officer," said IG, Prisons, Anand Kishore.

The move assumes significance as prison authorities during numerous raids had seized mobile phones from different jails.

Even jammers installed in jails to block use of mobile phones were of no use.