NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena has given his approval for the constitution of an ‘Empowered Committee’ and an ‘Oversight Committee’ for the implementation of a year-old Centre’s scheme of offering ‘financial assistance to poor prisoners’, Raj Niwas officials said on Friday.
The scheme, which will be implemented according to the guidelines and standing operating procedures (SOP) issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), is likely to benefit, at present, 162 prisoners lodged in various prisons in the national capital who are unable to be released due to financial constraints and support, the officials added.
The approximate amount required to provide assistance to these prisoners (161 under trial prisoners and one convict) has been calculated to `23.79 lakh by the prison department.
According to officials, the scheme will not only benefit the poor jail inmates but also resolve the over-crowding problem in city jails, officials said.
The Empowered Committee will have district collector or District Magistrate, secretary, district legal services authority, deputy commissioner of police, superintendent or deputy superintendent of the concerned prison, judge in-charge of the concerned prison and a nominee of the district judge.
The ‘Oversight Committee’ will have principal secretary (home or jail), secretary (law), secretary (state legal services authority), DIG or IG (prison), registrar general of the high court and special commissioner of police.
However, the officials also rued that the implementation of the scheme has been delayed despite the Union Home Minister writing to the Delhi CM in May last year to take advantage of the scheme. Later in June, the Union Home Secretary had also written letter to the Delhi government for taking necessary action for the implementation of the scheme.
Responding to it, the Delhi government said that the file came to the Minister (Home) on February 12 and left the office on February 22.