BHOPAL: Congress MLA Mukesh Nayak alleged that jails were given ‘target’ to collect money by ensuring facilities to affluent class prisoners lodged in them. Prisoners from poor families were hardly paid any attention. Nayak’s comments raised eyebrows of many BJP MLAs during discussion of demand for grant of jail and PHE department on Thursday.
Nayak said, “Earlier jails were centre of enjoyment while after SIMI incidents, in the name of strictness, they have become centres of harassment. Prisoners who are in jail, are put together with hardcore criminals even for petty faults. Moreover, such under trial prisoners who are in jail for petty issues, are tortured, while, affluent prisoners are provided all facilities. It seems that jails have been given targets to collect money.”
“In other states, classes are run in jails to educate the prisoners and they appear in various examinations but in MP, such activities are not conducted and the jail inmates are deprived of skill development,” Nayak said, adding, “In other states, NGOs play a key role in educating and preaching prisoners but in MP, NGOs have not been given any role in connection with jail affairs.”
Taking serious objections, BJP MLA Mamta Mina told Mukesh Nayak to show the evidence how jails had become centres of harassment and were given target to collect money. Many MLAs from both sides joined in the ruckus. Congress MLA Govind Singh said Mamta Mina did not have authority to demand evidence. It was for the government to demand evidence, Singh added. BJP MLA KK Srivastava said, “I have been in jail twice. Once in Congress regime and again in BJP regime but I have realised that condition is totally different now. During the Congress time, it was pathetic.”