Budget 2023: Centre to support poor prisoners who are unable to afford bail amounts; check details

By Team Newsable | First Published Feb 1, 2023, 2:40 PM IST

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also appealed to a joint conference of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts to give priority to cases related to undertrial prisoners languishing in jails and release them, as per law, based on human sensitivities.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday (February 1) announced that the government will provide financial support to poor prisoners who are unable to afford their penalties or bail amounts.

In her Budget speech, FM Sitharaman said, "In terms of support for poor persons who are in prisons and are unable to afford the penalty or bail amount, the required financial support will be provided."

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Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu, in her speech at Constitution Day celebrations in November, suggested the decongestion of jails and helping the poor prisoners languishing there. She questioned the need for setting up more jails while highlighting the plight of the poor in prisons.

Days after the President's speech, the Supreme Court directed prison authorities to provide details of such prisoners within 15 days to the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) for formulating a national scheme for their release.

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The NALSA informed the court that about 5,000 undertrial prisoners were in jail despite being granted bail.

"In every district there is a committee headed by the district judge, so that these cases can be reviewed and wherever possible, such prisoners may be released on bail," the Prime Minister had said.

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