The Ministry of Home Affairs has allocated Rs 20 crore for providing financial assistance to poor prisoners, who could not afford their bail money and continue to languish in jail. In a communication to all states, the ministry said that each state should open a dedicated account for the seamless flow of funds from the Central government to state headquarters so that the funds could be disbursed to the needy.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs has made provision for an amount of Rs 20 crore annually which the states and UTs can make use of for providing financial assistance to poor prisoners to seek release from jail,” the communication said.
For efficient implementation of the scheme and seamless flow of funds from the Centre to the states, the states were asked to take a number of steps in this regard. According to the communication, all states and union territories were asked to constitute ‘Empowered Committees’ in all districts and an ‘Oversight Committee’ at the state or union territories headquarters level with the indicative composition of such committees as provided in the guidelines.
Each state and union territory must appoint a nodal officer at the state or union territory headquarters level who may engage with the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) – National Crime Records Bureau – to seek any clarification or amplification about the procedure or guidelines.
Each state and union territory should open a subsidiary account at the state or union territory headquarters level under the CNA’s account (NCRB) and have it mapped on the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) on the most urgent basis as all funds from the Centre will flow through this account.
The states were told by the Ministry of Home Affairs that district level ‘Empowered Committee’, with the assistance of the District Legal Services Authority and prison authorities, shall examine cases of eligible prisoners and shall have the power to sanction the amount required for paying fines or bail amount within the parameters of the guidelines prescribed on the subject.
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