MP set to become 1st state to have electric fencing around all its jails

Indore: Madhya Pradesh is set to become the first state in the country to electrically secure all its prisons, with the govt clearing a Rs 18 crore push to fence every jail perimeter — funded by reappropriating savings from the food budget — a move aimed at shutting down a key escape route flagged in past breaches. The move was first mulled by the govt after eight SIMI undertrial activists had escaped from the Central Jail in Bhopal after killing a head constable on October 31, 2016. The prison department secured administrative approval after reworking its budget to fund the long-pending upgrade. Officials said electric fencing will be installed along the outer walls of 123 functional jails out of the state's total 125. At present, only 14 jails have the system in place, leaving a large number of facilities without a critical layer of perimeter security. "MP will be the first state to have electric fencing as a security measure across all its 125 jails. Escapes from within custody, especially over-the-wall attempts, were reported earlier. This system is designed to plug those gaps and make prisons more secure. Considerable effort went into reappropriating these funds, and this will significantly strengthen jail security in the state," said DGP (prisons) Varun Kapoor. The funding pivot was key to unlocking the project. Kapoor said unspent allocations under the food budget head, which typically lapse back to the treasury at the end of the financial cycle, were identified and reappropriated for the upgrade. The proposal moved through the finance department and senior administrative channels, facing initial bureaucratic hurdles before being cleared. Even as the reappropriation process was underway, the prison department ensured that execution timelines did not slip. Tenders were floated and talks were held with MP State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (MPSEDC) in parallel so that groundwork could begin immediately after funds were released. MPSEDC, the agency that installed electric fencing at Bhopal Central Jail following the 2016 jailbreak, has been brought in again for the statewide rollout. MPSEDC executive director Anshuman Raj told TOI, "The system will feature smart fencing with real-time monitoring of electricity flow and breach attempts, enabling instant alerts on any tampering or intrusion. Incidents will be tracked live, with the latest technology integrated into a centralised monitoring system at the prison headquarters, allowing state-level oversight of all jails." He said that they are in the process of installing it. The push comes in the backdrop of past "over-the-wall" escape incidents that exposed gaps in prison security, including one reported from Khachrod recently. Officials said electrified fencing will act as a strong deterrent and help standardise security infrastructure across all prisons in the state.