Ranchi: The District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) and the district administration on Friday gave away cheques to family members of victims of rape, murder and other crimes under the Jharkhand Victims Welfare Fund Rules 2014. The cheques were given during a legal service-cum-empowerment camp held in Birsa Munda Central jail premises.
According to the rules, one-third of the amount earned by a convict while serving his/her jail term is provided to the family of the victim. The remaining amount would be provided to the convict after his/her release.
According to officials, a total of Rs 10.27 lakh earned by prisoners were to be distributed among families of 24 victims through cheques of various amounts ranging from around Rs 12,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh.
Even though all beneficiaries were invited to the function some did not turn up. The administration said that cheques worth Rs 4.10 lakh were given away to eight persons in the function and other beneficiaries would get the amount at different functions and through real time gross settlement (RTGS).
The jail administration is also thinking of sending the money through RTGS next time to safe the families the hassle of coming to the jail premises for collecting the cheques.
Sources said that among the beneficiaries was an 18-year-old girl of Ranchi district whose father had killed her mother. While her father is serving the sentence, she is continuing her studies from the former’s earning inside jail.
DLSA secretary Abhishek Kumar who was present in the function said, “Our organisation will call the girl at its centre and enrol her in a skill development scheme, which falls under the purview of our rehabilitation programme.”
Jail inspector general Birendra Bhushan said, “The families are getting the second instalment from the fund. The administration carries out frequent drive to trace relatives of victims to benefit them under the scheme. A section of the affected families simply refuse to take the money.”
Jail superintendent Hamid Akhtar was among the officials present on the occasion.
Around crores of rupees have been distributed among the affected families over the years in Jharkhand.