Tihar Jail gets its own FM radio station

, July 31: In yet another first, the country's largest prison

Jail has now got its very own

station. Director General of Prisons Vimla Mehra on Tuesday launched the 'TJ FM Radio' at Central Jail No 4 in the Tihar complex.

"The FM Radio has been established to meet the twin objectives of entertainment and training of prisoners as Radio Jockey (RJ). The prisoners can engage themselves in creative activities and also get trained as Radio Jockey (RJ)," Tihar Jail spokesperson Sunil Gupta said.

He said that if prisoners want to listen to their favourite songs, they would have to send their request in advance to the RJs so that these may be aired. Apart from FM Radio, Tihar Jail administration, in association with an NGO "Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Sansthan", also started a Khadi unit or 'Charkha Khand' (spinning wheel unit) in the Central Jail.

"This has been done to spread the teaching of non-violence and communal harmony propounded by Gandhiji," the Jail spokesperson said. Mehra inaugurated the 'Charka Khand' on Tuesday. Ten Nigerian inmates and other foreign prisoners have also actively participated in Khadi making activities.

The model jail has the country's first drug de-addiction and Vipassana meditation centres. The prison houses around 12,000 inmates against the sanctioned strength of 6,250.

PTI