India, May 8 -- The Public Works Department (PWD) has initiated the process to build the national capital's first high-security prison (HSP) for hardcore extremists and criminals, in northwest Delhi's Narela at an estimated cost of Rs.140 crore, according to officials aware of the matter.

The prison, likely to be completed in two years, will have 256 cells to house as many inmates -- the high-security structure has been proposed on the concept of 'one person, one cell' for stringent surveillance, the officials said.

Senior officers linked with the project said that the construction of cells has been planned so that high-risk inmates could neither see nor talk to another inmate.

HSPs are equipped with features such as body scanners, bio...