Mobile jammers installed at Ballari Central Jail
Ballari: Mobile jammers installed at Ballari Central Jail to prevent inmates from using phones are allegedly disrupting mobile networks up to 2 km beyond the prison premises, affecting calls, UPI transactions and online work in several parts of the city. After waiting 10 to 20 minutes, many leave promising to pay later. Ballari Central Jail, spread over nearly 16 acres in the heart of the city, has existed since the British era. Around 10 jammers were installed to prevent inmates from using mobile phones, but they reportedly became dysfunctional over the years. Following directions from the central prisons department, all the jammers were repaired and upgraded by April 15 last year. Residents allege the upgraded system now affects areas within a 2-km radius while failing to completely prevent illegal mobile phone usage inside the prison.
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The disruption is said to be particularly severe for govt and private offices located near the jail. We are losing thousands of rupees every day,” said shopkeepers in the Royal Circle, Kanaka Durgamma Circle and SP Circle areas. Nagaraj, a hotel owner at Kanaka Durgamma Circle, said customers in a hurry often leave without completing payments, resulting in substantial losses. Our senior officers have issued instructions in this regard, and steps are being taken to ensure that the jammers function without causing inconvenience to the public,” she said.
Residents and businesses in Royal Circle, Kanaka Durgamma Circle, SP Circle, Talur Road, Parvathi Nagar and Kappagal Road say mobile signals frequently vanish without warning. Calls get disconnected, UPI transactions fail even after QR codes are scanned, and people are often forced to move around in search of connectivity. Emails, online meetings and WhatsApp files, including images, PDFs, documents and videos, reportedly take hours to download or remain stuck loading. Patients and attendants at the district hospital are also facing difficulties contacting family members during emergencies, with many seen walking around searching for a signal while repeatedly saying, “Hello… hello… “We no longer carry cash. Even for a cup of tea, customers prefer to pay through PhonePe, but the jammer often causes transactions to fail or show ‘server down’. Hasan Saab, a resident of Gandhinagar, demanded that the jammer range be reduced immediately. He urged the district administration to intervene. Despite crores of rupees being spent on high-frequency jammers, inmates are allegedly using keypad phones to speak to people outside for hours. Complaints have reportedly been escalated to the director general of the central prisons department. Jail superintendent R Latha acknowledged the issue. “After the repairs, the capacity of the jammers has increased, and we have received complaints that this is causing inconvenience to the public. Download the TOI App.