Govt fined ` 6cr for shifting prisoners

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation ( EDMC) has imposed a penalty of over 6 crore on the Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP) government for shifting prisoners from Tihar Jail to the newly- constructed Mandoli prisons without obtaining completion certificate from it.

The civic body, which is mandated to issue completion certificate to new buildings under its jurisdiction, has asked the prisons department of the Delhi government to pay pre- occupancy charges for the "violation" of laid down rules.

Official sources said that a file pertaining to the issue had been sent to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and home minister Satyendar Jain, who would take a final decision on the payment of pre- occupancy charges.

Around 3,000 inmates of Tihar Jail have been shifted to Mandoli prisons in east Delhi so far, they said. The first batch of 50 prisoners were shifted to Mandoli in December 2016.

"The EDMC has asked the prisons department of the government to pay

6,03,44,062 for shifting prisoners from Tihar to Mandoli without getting completion certificate from it," an official, who did not wish to be named, told media. He said the department had sent a file to the deputy CM and the home minister, and asked the two people to take a decision on what the Delhi government should do in the matter.