Lok Sabha Question No. 1502 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-29
Subject: Poor Prisoners' Scheme
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Raja Ram Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1502

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 29 TH  JULY, 2025/ SRAVANA 7, 1947 (SAKA)

POOR PRISONERS' SCHEME

1502. SHRI RAJA RAM SINGH:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  support  of  Poor  Prisoners'  Scheme  was  launched  by  the Government in 2023 to provide cash bail of upto Rs. 40000/- and penalty payment  of  upto  Rs.  25000/-  per  prisoner,  to  reduce  overcrowding  of prisons  and  help  poor  prisoners  to  get  released  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b) the number of people benefited from to Poor Prisoners' Scheme floated by the Government since its inception, State and year-wise;
- (c)  the  total  amount  sanctioned  and  utilised  by  each  State  Government under this scheme during the said period, State and year-wise; and
- (d) the reasons for people not being released under the said scheme and the steps taken by the Government to ensure better implementation of the scheme?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI BANDI SANJAY KUMAR)

(a): With the objective of providing financial assistance to poor prisoners, who are unable to pay the fine imposed on them or are unable to secure bail due to financial constraints, the Government of India had launched the 'Support to Poor Prisoners' Scheme in the year 2023. Detailed 'Guidelines and  Standard  Operating  Procedure ' to  be followed  by the States/UTs for

## L.S.US.Q.NO. 1502 FOR 29.07.2025

implementation  of  the  scheme  were  shared  with  all  State  Governments and  Union  Territory  (UT)  Administrations  on  19.6.2023. The  'Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedur e' are available on the Ministry of Home Affairs ' website: www.mha.gov.in .

(b): State/UT-wise  and  year-wise  number  of  prisoners  who  benefitted from this Scheme are given in Annexure-I.

(c): For  implementation  of  the  Scheme,  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs (MHA)  had  provided  an  Annual  financial  outlay  of  Rs.  20  crore  for  three Financial  Years  -  2023-24,  2024-25  and  2025-26.  National  Crime  Records Bureau (NCRB) was designated as the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) for the implementation  of  the  scheme.  States  and  UTs  were  informed  that  the funds  have  been  made  available  in  the  CNA  account,  from  where  the States/UTs can draw the amount required by them and can provide relief to poor prisoners. States and UTs were advised to take full advantage of the scheme  and  extend  the  benefit  of  the  same  to  all  eligible  prisoners. States/UTs were informed that full expenditure in this regard will be borne by  the  Central  Government.  As  per  available  records,  State/UT-wise  and year-wise details of the funds utilized by the States/UTs for implementation  of  the  Support  to  Poor  Prisoners  Scheme  are  given  in Annexure-II.

(d): 'Prisons'/  'persons  detained  therein'  is  a  'State -list'  subject  under Entry  4  of  List  II  of  the  Seventh  Schedule  to  the  Constitution  of  India. Administration and management of prisons and prisoners is, therefore, the responsibility  of  respective  State  Governments/UT  Administrations,  who are  required  to  take  necessary  action  for  providing  the  benefit  of  the Central  Government  Scheme  to  eligible  persons.  MHA,  on  its  part,  has regularly  reviewed  the  progress  of  the  implementation  of  the  Support  to Poor Prisoners scheme with the States/UTs and has provided the required guidance and clarification to them. MHA has recently again reiterated to all  States  and  UTs  for  issuing  suitable  directions  to  concerned  State functionaries  for  raising  awareness  about  the  scheme  and  ensuring  that regular  meetings  of  'Empowered  Committees'  are  held  to  maximise coverage under the scheme.

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## State/UT-wise and year-wise number of prisoners who benefitted from the Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme

| S. No.   | State/UT          | FY 2023-24   | FY 2024-25   | FY 2025-26 (till July, 2025)   |
|----------|-------------------|--------------|--------------|--------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    |              |              |                                |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 6            |              |                                |
| 3        | Assam             |              |              |                                |
| 4        | Bihar             |              |              |                                |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      |              |              |                                |
| 6        | Goa               |              | 5            | 1                              |
| 7        | Gujarat           |              | 4            |                                |
| 8        | Haryana           |              |              |                                |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh  |              |              |                                |
| 10       | Jharkhand         |              |              |                                |
| 11       | Karnataka         |              |              |                                |
| 12       | Kerala            |              |              | 1                              |
| 13       | Madhya Pradesh    | 8            | 25           | 2                              |
| 14       | Maharashtra       |              | 33           | 23                             |
| 15       | Manipur           |              |              |                                |
| 16       | Meghalaya         |              |              |                                |
| 17       | Mizoram           |              |              |                                |
| 18       | Nagaland          |              |              |                                |
| 19       | Odisha            |              | 3            |                                |
| 20       | Punjab            |              | 3            |                                |
| 21       | Rajasthan         |              |              |                                |
| 22       | Sikkim            |              | 1            |                                |
| 23       | Tamil Nadu        |              |              |                                |
| 24       | Telangana         |              | 5            |                                |
| 25       | Tripura           |              | 3            |                                |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh     |              |              |                                |
| 27       | Uttarakhand       | 3            | 11           | 7                              |
| 28       | West Bengal       |              |              |                                |
| 29       | A & N Islands     |              |              |                                |
| 30       | Chandigarh        |              |              |                                |
| 31       | DNH & Daman Diu   |              |              |                                |
| 32       | Delhi             |              |              |                                |
| 33       | Jammu & Kashmir   |              |              |                                |
| 34       | Ladakh            |              |              |                                |
| 35       | Lakshadweep       |              |              |                                |
| 36       | Puducherry        |              |              |                                |
|          | Total             | 17           | 93           | 34                             |

State/UT-wise and year-wise details of the funds utilized by States/UTs for implementation of the Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme

| S. No.   | State/UT          | FY 2023-24   | FY 2024-25    | FY 2025-26 (till July, 2025)   |
|----------|-------------------|--------------|---------------|--------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    |              |               |                                |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | ₹34,000/-    |               |                                |
| 3        | Assam             |              |               |                                |
| 4        | Bihar             |              |               |                                |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      |              |               |                                |
| 6        | Goa               |              | ₹60,000/-     | ₹10,000/-                      |
| 7        | Gujarat           |              | ₹85,000/-     |                                |
| 8        | Haryana           |              |               |                                |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh  |              |               |                                |
| 10       | Jharkhand         |              |               |                                |
| 11       | Karnataka         |              |               |                                |
| 12       | Kerala            |              |               | ₹30,000/-                      |
| 13       | Madhya Pradesh    | ₹55,618/-    | ₹6,65,288/-   | ₹23,133/-                      |
| 14       | Maharashtra       |              | ₹5,27,500/-   | ₹3,84,000/-                    |
| 15       | Manipur           |              |               |                                |
| 16       | Meghalaya         |              |               |                                |
| 17       | Mizoram           |              |               |                                |
| 18       | Nagaland          |              |               |                                |
| 19       | Odisha            |              | ₹24,311/-     |                                |
| 20       | Punjab            |              | ₹5,15,000/-   |                                |
| 21       | Rajasthan         |              |               |                                |
| 22       | Sikkim            |              | ₹75,000/-     |                                |
| 23       | Tamil Nadu        |              |               |                                |
| 24       | Telangana         |              | ₹72,000/-     |                                |
| 25       | Tripura           |              | ₹85,000/-     |                                |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh     |              |               |                                |
| 27       | Uttarakhand       | ₹32,000/-    | ₹1,08,067/-   | ₹81,369/-                      |
| 28       | West Bengal       |              |               |                                |
| 29       | A & N Islands     |              |               |                                |
| 30       | Chandigarh        |              |               |                                |
| 31       | DNH & Daman Diu   |              |               |                                |
| 32       | Delhi             |              |               |                                |
| 33       | Jammu & Kashmir   |              |               |                                |
| 34       | Ladakh            |              |               |                                |
| 35       | Lakshadweep       |              |               |                                |
| 36       | Puducherry        |              |               |                                |
|          | Total             | ₹ 1,21,618/- | ₹ 22,17,166/- | ₹ 5,28,502/-                   |

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