Patna, Feb. 6: US President Barack Obama’s video conferencing with the Kanpura villagers in Ajmer in Rajasthan in his 2010 visit to India was seen as a step to bridge the digital divide by taking technology to the grassroots. What Obama could not have imagined was that Bihar would take a step forward and tap the pros of e-governance.

In an effort to do away with the task of producing jail inmates before court in person, the state government is mulling their production through video conferencing. The Bihar government is likely to table a bill to this effect for a legal sanction in the ensuing budget session of the Assembly from February 22.

If approved, the move will not only iron out day-to-day hassles of arranging vehicles and security guards to take inmates to court but will also eliminate chances of dreaded criminals foxing policemen and escaping captivity.

The technological bliss would also enable the authorities to produce inmates in other courts across the state without moving them from the jail they are lodged in.

State home secretary Amir Shubhani said an approval for implementing the process of video conferencing is almost certain.

Once the final nod comes, the facility would be available in all the courts of 38 districts by March end.

The state home department has appointed officials having knowledge of the technicalities about video conferencing in all the courts and the prisons.

“Taking an inmate to the court each time during hearing involves a lot of manpower and logistics. They need to be kept guarded all the time and courts need to have guarded lockups to keep them during hearing. It involves the risk of criminals fleeing. The video conference system will solve these problems,” Shubhani said.

Earlier, there were plans to train the peshkars in the courts to handle video conferencing equipment, the official said. “But it couldn’t be done. The Internet lease line could not be provided in all the courts. But now we have deputed new people in all the courts who can handle the equipment. BSNL Internet lease line has been provided in all the places,” Shubhani said.

“The judicial system does not allow for a hearing unless the undertrial is present in the court in person. But the state government can amend it. A draft bill has been constituted for this and it will be presented for approval in the Assembly session next month,” Shubhani said.

The equipment required for video conferencing has been installed at Beur Central Jail and dummy runs have been conducted.

Apart from this, around 10-15 video cameras have been installed in each of the jails at different places to help senior officials keep an eye on the prisoners. “I can watch every corner of the Beur jail sitting in front of my computer. The footage is recorded,” Shubhani added.