Patna, April 11: Not a single convicted prisoner lodged in Bihar jails has been released in the past three years under the provisions of the Rajya Dandadesh Parihar Parshad (RDPP), defeating the very purpose of the organisation set up in 2007.

The fact surfaced after Om Prakash Poddar, the state president of Vidhik Pahal, a Munger-based organisation for the cause of prisoners sought information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, from the prisons (home) department.

In reply, the state prisoners’ welfare-cum-public information officer, Jai Prakash Das, said: “No convicted prisoner in the state has been granted remission during 2008-09 and 2009-10.”

As a result, over 300 convicted prisoners lodged in different jails of the state are still awaiting release. The prisoners have been languishing in jail despite having served 14-year term. They have not been granted remission under the provisions of the RDPP for convicted prisoners.

According to the provisions, male prisoners who have already completed 14 years in prison, can be released on the recommendations of the parshad headed by the home secretary of the state. The cases of convicted prisoners serving 10-year term can also be taken up, sources said. Similarly, female prisoners who have served more than seven years in jail are entitled for early release under the RDPP provisions, sources added.

Moreover, prisoners above 65 years of age and those suffering from chronic diseases can be released after serving five-year term. “The only condition for early release is that their cases should be cleared by the RDPP,” sources said.

According to a survey conducted by Vidhik Pahal, at least seven prisoners lodged in the Munger divisional jail were entitled for early release. “The prisoners, including Ganga Yadav, Bhudev Yadav, Kedar Mandal, Rajesh Mandal and Vijay Mandal, could have been released last year had the parshad taken up their cases at its meeting on schedule,” Poddar said.

He said the meeting of the parshad was supposed to be held every three months. But the meetings were not held on scheduled dates. “Even the Patna High Court had issued an instruction in this regard and directed the superintendents of the jails to furnish the list of such prisoners to the prison department on time,” Poddar said.

Though the parshad had recommended early release of 106 prisoners at its meeting on April 9, 2010, the names included only those who had already served over 20-year terms. For instance, Shambhu Narain Rai, a prisoner lodged in the Shaheed Khudiram Bose Central Jail at Muzaffarpur, was released after serving 23 years and 10 months.

“In Bihar, the cases of prisoners who have already served 20 years term are taken up at the meeting of the parshad,” Poddar said, adding that he has already filed contempt of court in the high court for not adhering to the order passed by former Chief Justice Dipak Mishra on March 26, 2010.When asked about the reason for delay in granting remission to the convicted prisoners, a senior home department official said: “The matter is under consideration of the parshad. The issue will be discussed at its next meeting.”

The officer, however, refused to disclose the date of the next meeting.