First in Maharashtra: Nagpur Central Jail inmates get SBI ATM cards

Around 140 inmates of the central prison here were given State Bank of India (SBI) ATM cards today for use inside the premises, with plans to extend the service to all 800 prisoners of the facility.

The cards were given to select inmates by Maharashtra Additional Director General of Police (Prisons), Bhushan Kumar Upadhyaya and the SBI Deputy General Manager, Nagpur Zone, B Shankar in the presence of Jail Superintendent Yogesh Desai and Assistant GM, SBI, Nagpur Zone, Rakesh Sinha.

Upadhyaya said over 10,000 inmates in nine central prisons across Maharashtra will be extended the facility.

Nagpur has been chosen as a pilot project, he said.

The inmates can swipe the cards in the canteen to purchase daily-use items like soaps, hair oil, eatables, etc, against the payment they receive for doing works on the premises.

The inmates can also use the cards once they are released after serving their terms, Upadhyaya said, adding it will inculcate a habit of saving among them.

Any prisoner can spend up to Rs 2,500 per month. Their relatives can also deposit in their respective saving bank accounts up to Rs 2,500 which is the monthly upper limit for inmates, he said.

Shankar said the SBI might tie up for similar smart-card facility in other central prisons in the state.

Upadhyaya also said prisoners practising yoga are entitled for remission of up to a maximum of three months.

"Since yoga has been adopted by the United Nations and Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21, the facility is being extended to them," he added.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had visited the central prison here on June 21 last and practised yoga with the inmates.