Socio Research & Reform Foundation

While delivering a judgement a judge has suggested to the Delhi Govt that it should consider the model where first-time convicts with very less risk of absconding and non-dangerous women convicts should be allowed to go out of jail premises for work and return in the evening for the headcount.

She stated that there are 32 such prisons already in the country. She specifically referred to one in Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh. Most of the prisoners housed in that prison work during day time in the city. She stated that idea is to provide convicts a corrective and rehabilitatory process. She mentioned that despite the liberty given to prisoners in Bilaspur prison, none of them have resorted to any offending or violative behaviour or had a second innings in crime. It has been been able to re-integrate the inmates into the society, the objective of a prison.

The judge further stated that while rapists, pick-pockets, thieves and burglars are excluded from the benefit, murder convicts are allowed where it had been established in the judgement that the murder happened in the heat of the moment. The system also allows women in the above-mentioned category to leave in the evening to be with their families and return to the prison in the morning. Judge stated that a modified version could be implemented for Delhi without any additional financial burden.

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Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

In recent debate on Food Security Bill, which will promote Govt. procurement on massive scale, one aspect of implementing this bill has been overlooked – Efficiency of Govt system of procurement, storage & distribution. We all know how inefficient this system has been from our past experience. However if further evidence of the same was needed, we have example of Madhya Pradesh.

MP Govt. announced a bonus of Rs 100/- per quintal over and above the Minimum Support Price of Rs 1120/-. The price became very attractive for farmers, enabling the MP Govt. to procure 48.40 MT of wheat, nearly 10 times more than what was procured during 2008. While undoubtedly the procurement process has been most successful, however it has created its own problems. The state govt. never had the capacity to store such large amount of wheat that it procured, leaving huge amount of grains to rot in the open fields. While the farmers have rec’d far more than Rs 5000 crores from the state govt. however question needs to be considered, is it really an efficient way of providing food security.

In view of the above experience, it is worth asking if the Food Security Bill being considered by the Central Govt. will also result in similar wastages, but at much larger scales. Estimate of the likely cost of the Food Security Bill is around Rs 92,000 crores. Perhaps use of Cash Transfers could be a better option than large scale procurement by the Govt.

Any suggestions / comments ?

________________________________
Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in