COVID-19 lockdown: Rajasthan allows family members of prisoners to deposit money online

Jaipur, Apr 18 () The jail department in Rajasthan has started online payment service for the family members of prisoners to deposit money in their bank accounts in jails due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The facility is for registered and verified family members with the jail administration who will be able to deposit money through internet banking, debit or credit card, Paytm and BHIM App directly in the bank accounts from their homes.

"About 20,000 prisoners lodged in different jails of the state will be able to get the benefit of the service. We have prepared a database and only registered family members can deposit money," DIG (Jail) Vikas Kumar told on Saturday.

He said the prisoners were facing shortage of funds due to the pandemic crisis following which the service has been initiated.

Earlier, family members had to deposit money in prisoners' bank accounts in jail at the time of visiting them, which could be used to call them through a landline phone and make purchase of daily use essential items.

Prisoners can talk to their family members for five minutes daily over the phone with the deposited money and purchase necessary items from the canteen worth Rs 2,500 every month.

Kumar said that jail canteens are also being computerised completely to end any human intervention in the wake of the pandemic. AG HDA