Executive Summary:
In 2023, the Government of India launched the Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme to provide financial aid to prisoners unable to pay fines or secure bail due to financial constraints. The scheme provides cash bail of up to Rs. 40,000 and penalty payment of up to Rs. 25,000 per prisoner. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allocated an annual financial outlay of Rs. 20 crore for three financial years (2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26) for the scheme, with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) serving as the Central Nodal Agency (CNA).
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Scheme Objectives and Guidelines:**
* The scheme aims to reduce prison overcrowding and help poor prisoners get released.
* Detailed guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures were shared with States/UTs on June 19, 2023, and are available on the MHA website.
* **Financial Provisions:**
* MHA provided an annual financial outlay of Rs. 20 crore for the financial years 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26.
* Funds are available in the CNA (NCRB) account, from which States/UTs can draw the required amount.
* The Central Government will bear the full expenditure.
* **Implementation and Monitoring:**
* NCRB is the Central Nodal Agency for implementation.
* The administration and management of prisons and prisoners is the responsibility of respective State Governments/UT Administrations.
* MHA regularly reviews the scheme's progress with States/UTs, providing guidance and clarification.
* MHA has reiterated the need for States/UTs to raise awareness about the scheme and hold regular meetings of Empowered Committees.
* **Beneficiaries and Fund Utilization:**
* Annexure I provides State/UT-wise and year-wise data on the number of prisoners who benefited from the scheme.
* Annexure II provides State/UT-wise and year-wise details of the funds utilized for the scheme's implementation.
Impact Analysis:
* **State Governments/UT Administrations:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for the administration and management of prisons and prisoners, and for providing the benefits of the scheme to eligible individuals.
* *Action Required:* Take necessary action for providing the benefit of the Central Government Scheme to eligible persons, issue suitable directions to concerned State functionaries for raising awareness about the scheme, ensure that regular meetings of Empowered Committees are held to maximise coverage under the scheme, and draw funds from the CNA account.
* **Poor Prisoners:**
* *Impact:* Potential beneficiaries of financial assistance for bail and penalty payments, leading to release from prison.
* *Action Required:* Be aware of the scheme and its provisions.
* **Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA):**
* *Impact:* Responsible for overseeing the scheme, providing financial resources, and monitoring implementation.
* *Action Required:* Regularly review the progress of the scheme with the States/UTs, provide guidance and clarification, and ensure funds are available.
* **National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB):**
* *Impact:* Serves as the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) for the implementation of the scheme.
* *Action Required:* Manage the funds, and ensure States/UTs can draw the required amount.
Key Entities Referenced
Poor Prisoners' Scheme: A Government of India scheme launched in 2023 to provide financial assistance to poor prisoners who are unable to pay fines or secure bail due to financial constraints.
Ministry of Home Affairs: The ministry responsible for launching and overseeing the Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme.
SHRI BANDI SANJAY KUMAR: Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
National Crime Records Bureau: Designated as the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) for the implementation of the Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme.
Constitution of India: The legal framework within which prisons and persons detained therein are a State subject.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India that is part of the State/UT-wise data on beneficiaries and funds utilized under the Poor Prisoners' Scheme.
Maharashtra: A state in India that is part of the State/UT-wise data on beneficiaries and funds utilized under the Poor Prisoners' Scheme.
Uttar Pradesh: A state in India that is part of the State/UT-wise data on beneficiaries and funds utilized under the Poor Prisoners' Scheme.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1502
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 29TH 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-2-
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 Procedure” 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.-3-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1502 FOR 29.07.2025
(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.
*****Annexure-I
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1502 FOR 29.07.2025
State/UT-wise and year-wise number of prisoners who benefitted from the Support to
Poor Prisoners Scheme
S. FY 2025-26 (till
State/UT FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25
No. 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 34Annexure-II
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1502 FOR 29.07.2025
State/UT-wise and year-wise details of the funds utilized by States/UTs for
implementation of the Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme
S. FY 2025-26 (till
State/UT FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25
No. 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/-
*****