Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Jun 16: Inmates in Colvale Central Jail will soon be able to connect with their family members or friends through a video call, e-mulakhat (e-meeting) which is set to begin shortly. The programme, which is at its preliminary stage, has already been introduced at a few prisons in other parts of the country.

Due to the pandemic, the state's largest prison has not been accepting visitors for over a year. Prisoners are only allowed telephonic calls with permission from the jail's authorities - the e-mulakhat facility is expected to resolve most issues, a jail official said.

However, the initiative has been delayed due to connectivity issues caused by the ongoing highway expansion work and cyclone Tauktae, the official said.

“Ours is the only prison in the state, and so the facility has been extended to us. Although it was started prior to the enforcement of Covid-19 restrictions, it was halted due to connectivity issues,” he said.