Mumbai: The state government has set up five-member, district-level committees for the implementation of the Centre's scheme to provide bail to socially disadvantaged / less educated / poor people from low-income groups.
According to a correspondence dated June 19, 2023, from the home secretary, Government of India, the Centre plans to provide bail to people who are unable to pay fines or cannot get bail due to financial constraints.
"Providing financial support to convicts to pay their fines or help them get bail will help them get out of jail and join the mainstream as responsible citizens of the country. For the successful implementation of the scheme, guidelines and standard operating procedures have been determined, and they have been sent to additional director general of police, Prisons and Correctional Service, for action," a police official said.
'Empowered committees' will be established in all districts level for the successful implementation of the scheme, he said.
Centre's Measures Towards Providing Free Legal Help To Poor Prisoners
In April, last year, the central government issued a statement stating that the Ministry of Home Affairs is taking steps to address the issue of undertrials from time to time and that free legal aid is being provided to poor prisoners through the Legal Services Authority.
"Support for poor prisoners programme envisages provision of required financial support to poor persons who are in prisons and unable to afford the penalty or the bail amount. This will enable poor prisoners, the majority of whom belong to socially disadvantaged or marginalised groups with lower education and income level, to get out of prison. The broad contours of the scheme have been finalised in consultation with concerned stakeholders under which Government of India will provide financial support to states in order to extend relief to those poor prisoners," the statement said.
