New Delhi: The CIC has pulled up the
authorities of Tihar prison for allowing certain inmates to
keep more then the permitted amount in their Prisoner Property
Account.
"The Commission observes that the rules appear to give
too much flexibility to the jail authorities to do favours to
prisoners. At a time, when the permitted amount which could be
kept in the PP account by prisoner was Rs 25,000 it is evident
that a number of prisoners were permitted to keep over Rs
40,000," Chief Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said.
The observation came after a resident of Inderpuri,
Devanand approached the CIC for being given incomplete
information. Devanand through an RTI application had sought to
know what was the maximum amount that could be kept in the PP
account of prisoners in Tihar Jail.
In its order, the information commissioner directed the
PIO, Tihar jail, Rajesh Goel to give the information as to how
many prisoners have more than Rs 40,000 in their PP account
during the period March 2009-2010 before August 20.
The PP account has money deposited by the prisoner`s
family for use by the prisoner when inside the jail.
In Tihar jail, a prisoner was allowed to keep a maximum
of Rs 5,000 in his PP account which was later revised to Rs
25,000 in May 2010.
If a prisoner lives outside Delhi or is a foreigner, the
above limit can be relaxed at the discretion of Jail
Superintendent, giving the reasons to be recorded in
writing. He is allowed to withdraw to a limit of Rs 500 per
week as per the guidelines.
PTI
