Energy Minister Nirmal Kumar inspects Puzhal Central Prison, orders full digitisation of records

PRESS RELEASE Hon'ble Minister for Energy and Law Thiru C.D.R. Nirmal Kumar today (24.05.2026) inspected Puzhal Central Prison and directed that prison registers be fully computerised. Following the assumption of office by the Tamil Nadu Government under the Hon'ble Chief Minister, the respective department ministers have been reviewing the functioning of all departments. Accordingly, today (24.05.2026), Hon'ble Minister for Energy and Law Thiru C.D.R. Nirmal Kumar personally visited Puzhal Central Prison as the first step in reviewing the functioning of the Prisons Department. He also instructed prison officials to take steps to completely eliminate the circulation of narcotics within the prison by blocking channels through which they enter, and to set up an in-house bazaar so that items such as fruits brought for inmates can be purchased and provided from within the prison itself. The Hon'ble Minister for Energy and Law then told reporters: Today we conducted a review with the prison authorities at Puzhal Central Prison, Chennai. There are a total of 13 prisons in Tamil Nadu. A review was conducted of various details regarding convicted prisoners and undertrial prisoners in these prisons. A detailed review was also conducted of the kitchen, medical facilities, medical equipment and drinking water facilities in the prison. A review was conducted of the facilities for visitors at the prison, simplifying procedures to make it easier for visitors to come and go, and providing legal advice and legal assistance to undertrial prisoners who have exceeded the stipulated detention period. A detailed review was conducted of fully modernising the medical records of prison inmates and providing them the necessary medical care, preventive measures needed to ensure no irregularities occur in prisons, installing additional CCTV cameras, upgrading generator facilities in the prison, and modernising prison registers. Hon'ble Minister for Energy and Law Thiru C.D.R. Nirmal Kumar stated that funding required for the schemes to be implemented in the forthcoming Budget will be obtained with the approval of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and these will be carried out one by one in the coming period. The inspection was attended by Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services) Thiru K. Shankar, IPS, Inspector General of Police (Prisons Headquarters) Thiru R. Kanagaraj, IPS, and other prison department officials. Issued by: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9