STATUS OF UNDERTRIALS IN JAILS
There are 204480 under trials in jails all over
the country as on date. Of them, 44269 under trials are in jails
of Uttar Pradesh followed by 39449 under trials in jails of Bihar,
18501 under trials in jails of Madhya Pradesh, 13960 under trials
in jails of Maharashtra, 9289 in jails of Tamil Nadu, 8776 in
jails of Delhi, 8557 in jails of Andhra Pradesh, 8009 in jails
of Orissa and 7430 in jails of Punjab.
Of the total under
trials in jails, there are a total of 2206 under trials in detention
for more than five years. Of these, 99 under trials are in detention
for more than five years in Uttar Pradesh followed by 1713 under
trials in detention in Bihar, 87 in Madhya Pradesh, 6 in Maharashtra,
100 in Delhi, 7 in Andhra Pradesh, 3 in West Bengal , 12 in Orissa
and 22 in Punjab.
Prison
is State subject in the Constitution of India. States have to
spend Rs. 55 per day per under trial in detention. At this rate,
more than Rs. 461 crores is incurred bythe States annually on
under trials. If their cases are expedited by courts then the
money thus saved could be transferred to vital welfare activities.
It is in this context, that the Centre has been stressing the
need for expediting filling of vacancies of judges in the subordinate
courts and early disposal of the cases of under trials.
