Gunwanti Paraste (Pune): Maharashtra government has formed uniform rules for lawyers for meeting their client prisoners and also constituted a committee to inspect quality of food in the jail.

The directions have come after verdict from Bombay High Court to the petition by city based para-legal services and an inmate from Yerwada Jail.

The judgment was in response to separate writ petitions filed by Jan Adalat, a city-based centre of Para legal services and legal aid, and Ganesh Shankar Pawar, who was then an under-trial prisoner in Yerawada jail.

Jan Adalat had challenged Yerawada jail superintendent’s communication of August 24, 2015 laying down specific timings for lawyers to meet their clients in jail after meeting certain conditions. It was argued that the communication was contrary to the provisions under the Maharashtra Prisons (Facilities to the Prisoners) Rules, 1962, and the prescribed timings were inconvenient as they clashed with the working hours of the court.

As per the recommendations of the additional DGP of prisons department, the government has come out with uniform rules across the various prisons about guidelines for jail visit by lawyers.

Also a committee comprising the district civil surgeon and a male and a female social worker has been formed to make surprise visits to all Jails for testing the quality and quantity of food served to the prisoners as well as the cleanliness and hygiene in the kitchens in the Jails. The committees shall make surprise visits at least once in a month and regularly and punctually submit a report to the Inspector General of Prisons, for taking immediate action.