CWP No. 7499 of 2010 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CWP No. 7499 of 2010 Date of decision: 14.03.2011 Court on its own motion ......PETITIONER VERSUS State of Punjab etc. ….. RESPONDENTS CORAM:HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE RANJAN GOGOI, CHIEF JUSTICE HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE AUGUSTINE GEORGE MASIH Present: Ms. Madhu Dayal, Addl. A.G. Punjab. Mr. Kulvir Narwal, Addl. A.G. Haryana. *** RANJAN GOGOI, CJ (Oral) This Public Interest Litigation has been registered on the basis of a news item published in the issue of Hindustan Times dated 22.04.2010 alleging non-payment of wages to the prisoners who are lodged in different jails in the States of Punjab and Haryana. It is common knowledge that inmates in the jails are engaged in different activities resulting in production/manufacture of various items which are sold in the market. For the service rendered, the inmates are paid a token amount by way of remuneration. However, according to the newspaper item, the said amounts have not been disbursed for long. CWP No. 7499 of 2010 2 Sh. Kulvir Narwal, Additional Advocate General, Haryana and Ms. Madhu Dayal, Additional Advocate General, Punjab, on instructions received, have made statements with regard to the present position of disbursement of funds for payment to the jail inmates. As the said statements are sufficient to enable the Court to pass final orders in the Public Interest Litigation, such final orders are being passed with the consent of the parties. Insofar as the State of Haryana is concerned, it is stated that a total amount of ` 2,50,83,000/- has been disbursed/released to the Superintendents of different jails for payment to the inmates as per their entitlement. According to the learned Additional Advocate General, Haryana, the said dues will cover all the payments due to the jail inmates of the State up to the ending of the present financial year i.e. March 31, 2011. In the above circumstances, we direct that the amounts be withdrawn and paid to the inmates before 31.03.2011. Insofar as the Punjab is concerned, the learned Additional Advocate General, Punjab has submitted that against the demand of ` 84 lacs raised by the different Superintendents of the jails, a sum of ` 79 lacs has been sanctioned and the same is likely to be released shortly. As the amount sanctioned has not yet been released and the financial year is coming to an end, we direct the authorities of the State of Punjab to ensure that the amount in question is released forthwith and in any case well before 31.03.2011 so as to ensure that it can be withdrawn and paid within the financial year. While doing so, the authorities of the State of Punjab will also examine whether the balance amount of ` 5 lacs is necessary to be released to ensure that all the jail inmates receive their payments up to 31.03.2011. Thereafter, the said balance amount of ` 5 lacs will also be CWP No. 7499 of 2010 3 released within the present financial year. Beyond the above, no further direction is issued in this Public Interest Litigation. This Public Interest Litigation is disposed of in the terms of the above. ( RANJAN GOGOI ) CHIEF JUSTICE ( AUGUSTINE GEORGE MASIH ) JUDGE March 14, 2011 pj