Prisoners lodged in Punjab jails would now be eligible to get leave from jail on parole for agricultural activities or renovation of their house with the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday passing amendments in ‘The Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1962’ diluting the norms for allowing parole to convicted prisoners.
As per the new amendment, convicted prisoners will now be eligible for parole on the basis of natural calamity, if such incident causes damage to the member of the prisoner’s family or his property. Parole would also be allowed for critical condition of a family member on account of illness or accident.
Delivery of child by the wife of a prisoner will also make the basis of parole, besides allied services.
Presenting the amendment bill, Minister for jails and tourism, Sohan Singh Thandal said that the provisions for allowing parole to prisoners have already been there in the act and Government has just tried to motivate prisoners, who keep good conduct in jails.
Congress opposed the bill with legislature Party leader Charanjit Singh Channi terming the amendments an excuse to free the dreaded convicts out of jail. He said that there was a set procedure for allowing parole to the prisoners in place. Channi said that the Government should first clarify the objective of bringing the amendments at the fag end of its tenure.
He said that the Director General of Police in the State has himself admitted that 53 gangs were working in the State and the Government is planning to release more criminals from jail.
Congress leader, Sunil Jakhar said that the OSD to Home Minister, Punjab had recently violated the jail manual in Fazilka jail, when he met the accused of the brutal Abohar murder case in jail, with a Youth Akali leader, after the jail meeting time.
Congress legislator Balbir Singh Sidhu said that recently in Kurali, a convict released on parole committed a murder, thus the intent of the Government raises apprehension.