The Public House Committee of the State Legislature has said the amount spent on the undertrials is 500 times more than the amount estimated to set up courts in the prisons premises. The committee, on Thursday submitted its study report on the CAG’s (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) observations on functioning of prisons in Karnataka, in both the Houses.

The government spent between Rs 109 to Rs 137.60 per day on every undertrial a day including food and other administrative expenses.

The expenditure on the undertrials would go up as the police staff delayed to present them before the court on time. The committee has noticed that the government delayed to produce undertrials before the court for a period extending up to 24 months.

The committee, headed by Siddaramaiah, recommended the government set up courts in the prison premises to minimise the burden on the state exchequer. It also suggested strengthening of the police forces so that undertrials could be taken to courts without delay.

The committee has noticed use of cell phones, consumption of liquor and ganja by inmates. It asked the government to ensure that banned goods are not allowed inside prisons. Besides, the committee has taken serious note of inmates escaping from the prisons.

It said between 2005 and 2008 as many as 105 inmates escaped from prisons. Of them, 53 succeeded to give a slip to police when they were being taken to courts. The government should take necessary steps to avoid such instances, the committee’s report said.