Ministry Symbolic Image – Symbolic Image New Delhi: At least 273 prisoners, 107 of them in Maharashtra alone, have benefited from the Union Home Ministry’s ‘Assistance to Poor Prisoners’ scheme, which aims to provide financial assistance to undertrials who are unable to get bail due to financial constraints and who are languishing in jail due to non-payment of fines imposed by the convict court, the ministry told LS on Tuesday. Sharing details of prisoners who will benefit from the scheme, junior home minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar said Rs. Central funds worth Rs 71 lakh were utilized in 16 states and union territories to provide financial assistance to eligible jail inmates.

Maharashtra utilized the maximum amount of Rs 18. 7 lakh to benefit 107 prisoners, while Madhya Pradesh utilized Rs 9. 9 lakh to provide relief to 38 prisoners.

Over Rs 9 lakh was utilized by Tripura for seven eligible prisoners and Rs 7. 7 lakh was utilized by Uttarakhand for 37 jail inmates.

Assam also ensured the release of 28 prisoners with an assistance of Rs 6. 8 lakh under the scheme. The ‘Assistance to Poor Prisoners’ scheme was launched by the Home Ministry in 2023 and its guidelines and standard operating procedure (SOP) were revised and shared with all states and union territories on December 2, 2025.