Kolkata, Oct 13 (PTI) West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has asked the state government to release 71 convicts, granting them special remission during the Durga Puja festival, Raj Bhavan sources said on Friday.
While these 71 are Indians, 16 foreign prisoners are also being considered for release with the approval of the central government, officials said.
The matter has been pending for some time as a “satisfactory response” from the state government was not received, they said.
The Centre has initiated a scheme for the release of prisoners to commemorate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the 75th year of Independence of India.
“The governor has raised certain queries about the norms followed by the state government in choosing the suitable ones from among the eligible prisoners. He insisted on objective norms to be followed by the state government in the matter to avoid arbitrariness in the selection of prisoners,” a Raj Bhavan source said.
The governor has sought the release of the convicts on humanitarian grounds.
Raj Bhavan also proposed setting up a committee to look into the pros and cons of the issue and suggest a foolproof mechanism for the selection of prisoners to be released as part of the Durga Puja festivities, the source said. PTI JRC SCH NN
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