E-Paper
Chandigarh admn forms two panels to provide relief to poor prisoners
The Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme has been finalised by the Union ministry of home affairs and for its implementation, Chandigarh administration has constituted one “empowered committee” and one “oversight committee”
The UT administrator has constituted two committees for the implementation of a scheme to provide relief to poor prisoners who cannot be released from jail due to financial constraints like non-payment of fines or bail amount.
The Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme has been finalised by the Union ministry of home affairs and for its implementation, UT administration has constituted one “empowered committee” to be headed by the district collector (DC) and district magistrate (DM), and one “oversight committee” to be headed by the secretary (Home/Jail).
The secretary, district legal services authority, superintendent of police (SP) and chief judicial magistrate will be the members of the empowered committee, and superintendent and deputy superintendent of model jail will be the convener of the committee.
The committee will assess the requirement of financial support in each case for securing bail or for payment of fine, etc, and based on the decision taken, the DC and DM will draw money from the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) account and take necessary action.
The committee may appoint a nodal officer and take assistance of any civil society representative, social worker and district probation officer to assist them in processing cases of needy prisoners.
The oversight committee will have a legal remembrancer-cum-director of prosecution, and secretary, state legal services authority, and registrar general, Punjab and Haryana high court as its members; and the UT inspector general of prisons will be the member convener of the committee.
The committees will adhere to the guidelines and standard operating procedures for implementation of the scheme.
