Tripura links 86 courts to prisons through video conferencing

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, July 17, 2026

The Tripura government has expanded video conferencing facilities to 86 courts connected to the state's 12 prisons, enabling 32,750 virtual court appearances by inmates over the past two years as part of a series of prison reforms, Home (Prisons) Secretary Brijesh Pandey said on Thursday.

The details were shared during a high-level review meeting of the Home (Prisons) Department chaired by Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha at the Tripura Institution for Transformation (TIFT).

Pandey said 90 video conferencing cubicles have been installed across the prison network. Between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2026, inmates made 32,750 virtual appearances before courts, reducing the need for physical production and improving judicial efficiency.

He said the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) 2.0 and e-Prisons 2.0 have been implemented in all prisons. Prisoners' personal details, case records, CNR and FIR numbers, fingerprints, Jail Identification Numbers (JID) and Prisoner Identification Numbers (PID) are being uploaded regularly to the e-Prisons portal.

Under the Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme, 74 undertrial inmates have received financial assistance worth Rs 21.60 lakh to help them furnish bail bonds. The government also disbursed Rs 128.41 lakh to 52 victims under the Social Justice and Rehabilitation Scheme and Rs 101.45 lakh to 28 women survivors under the Tripura Victim Compensation Scheme.

Pandey said the state will enact the Tripura Prisons and Correctional Services Bill based on the Centre's Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023.

Recruitment is underway for 263 warder posts, while approval has been granted to fill 16 Senior Computer Assistant and four Pharmacist vacancies. The Chief Minister directed the department to further strengthen prison security, inmate welfare and modernisation efforts across the state.

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