Bihar: Facilities for ex-MPs and legislators in jails to be revisited

Patna: Bihar government on Monday said there is no provision to provide class one status to former MPs and legislators in prisons in the state like that existing for incumbent members but said it would revisit the exisiting provisions. Minister in-charge Home, Vijay Chaudhary gave the assurance to revisit the provisions as listed in government notification of 1970 in reply to a starred question of JD(U) MLA Ranvijay Singh in the state assembly.  The minister said there is provision to provide class one facility to incumbent parliamentarians, ministers and legislators, former central ministers, ex-speakers and deputy speakers but not for former MPs and MLAs/MLCs. There is detailed guideline that people of high social and educational qualification could be provided class one facility in prisons provided they were not found involved in heinous crimes like rape and were not habitual criminals among others. Singh insisted on extending the class one facility to ex-MPs and ex-legislators. “Do their status and need change once they (ex-MPs and legislators) are defeated in elections?” Leader of Opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui intervened and asked the minister to inform the house about existing provisions and their implementation so far in the state. On this Chaudhary said he would revisit the provisions and inform the house of the details. PTI