PATNA, Dec. 5 -- The Bihar government on Thursday approved the installation of 9,073 new CCTV cameras for comprehensive surveillance across 53 jails in the state at a cost of Rs.155.38 crore. The project also includes integrating existing camera systems in eight prisons. The decision comes in the wake of repeated extortion calls made from various jails to doctors and businessmen in the state capital. According to officials, all activities inside the prisons will now be recorded meticulously to identify the real perpetrators. The new CCTV units will be installed at sensitive locations to monitor the movements of notorious criminals and gang leaders lodged in different cells. Jail officials will be held accountable for any lapses related to the illegal entry of goods or materials into prison premises. "This project will significantly strengthen the prison security system in Bihar and make surveillance more robust and technologically advanced," said Samrat Choudhary, Bihar home minister. The initiative, he added, aims to "increase transparency, modernise management processes, and enable technology-driven reforms" in the prison administration. Choudhary said the approval was granted based on a revised detailed estimate submitted by Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd to the Directorate of Prisons and Correctional Services. The sanctioned amount of Rs.155.38 crore covers CCTV cameras, software, field infrastructure, local monitoring setups, manpower for five years, consultancy charges, contingency expenses and BELTRON's project margin. "The funding has been allocated from the 2025-26 state budget," he said. Separately, the government has approved the construction of major police infrastructure in Nawada, Lakhisarai and Samastipur districts at an estimated cost of Rs.2,757.28 crore. Samrat Choudhary said all three projects had received final approval and construction would begin shortly. "The home department has cleared three important projects to modernise the police force and provide safe and convenient living conditions for personnel. This will go a long way in improving policing in the state," he said....