LAHORE, March 24: In the wake of threats to prisons, the Punjab prisons authorities have recently got approved Rs119 million from the provincial planning and development department for the construction of security walls around 19 district jails after getting special permission from the Election Commission of Pakistan, Dawn has learnt.

The construction on security and additional perimeter walls is already in progress at the nine central jails of Punjab under Phase I. The Shahbaz-led government under an exigency plan had approved funds worth Rs221.9 million keeping in view terror attack on KPK’s Bannu Central Jail in April 2012.

Sources privy to the development told this reporter that the jail authorities had first made efforts to get funds from the estimated cost of Rs345.9 million (Annual Development Programme No 1321/2012-13) of the project under Phase II but the P&D authorities refused to release funds on an ‘excuse’ that the ECP had placed a ban on new development schemes and diversion of funds allocated for development projects.

They said the Inspector General of Punjab Prisons, Mian Farooq Nazeer, met the chief election commissioner in Islamabad around a month ago and obtained approval of the funds on the plea that these were specifically required for strengthening security arrangements and law and order as jails were continuously receiving terror threats.

The IGP told the CEC that the funds had nothing to do with the election agenda of the PML-N-led Punjab government (now ex-government).

The IGP further told the CEC that as most of the construction works on security walls around the nine central jails had already been completed (75 to 90 per cent), the department must complete such work on district jails too.

Sources said an amount of Rs119 million as first installment released by the provincial finance ministry following the P&D’s nod would be spent on new constructions till June 30 this year and further allocations would be obtained in the next financial year.

They said the construction on security walls of 19 jails and the Inspectorate of Punjab Prisons would start simultaneously and tender process by the Communication & Works department was about to be initiated any time.

According to an official document, security wall around Sialkot district jail will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs15.386m; Lahore district jail (Rs14.193m); security wall and additional perimeter wall around Sheikhupura jail (Rs18.887m); Kasur jail (Rs13.851m); Sargodha jail (Rs7.248m); security wall around Jhang jail and replacement Sullage drain (Rs14.923m); security and boundary walls around Toba Tek Singh jail (Rs33.934m); Shahpur jail (Rs13.797m); Faisalabad jail (Rs21.756m); Bahalwalnagar jail (Rs7.848m); Vehari jail (Rs4.263m); security jail and additional perimeter wall around Muzaffargarh jail (Rs57.048); Rahim Yar Khan jail (Rs9.985m); Multan jail (Rs19.690m); Rajanpur jail (Rs6.477m); Attock jail (Rs17.207m); security wall and additional perimeter wall around Mandi Bahauddin jail (Rs28.031m); security wall and additional perimeter wall around Jhelum jail (Rs16.785m); and security wall and additional perimeter wall around Gujrat jail (Rs21.635m).

The estimated cost of construction of security wall around IG Prisons Office Lahore is Rs3.023m.