EC suggests ‘refrain’ to Guv’s decision to be at Cooch Behar on poll day
Sources in the know at Raj Bhavan claimed that the poll panel through a mail today advised against the Governor’s plan tomorrow, 48 hours before the polls on Friday.
Governor CV Ananda Bose finally cleared the state government’s list of ‘eligible prisoners’ for release after withholding it for more than two months, from the first week of August.
The state secretariat Nabanna had sent the list of 71 prisoners to Raj Bhavan dur- ing first week of August requesting Mr Bose’s approval for release. Sources at Raj Bhavan said on Saturday that Governor approved the release of the 71 term convicts who are Indian citizens and 16 foreign nationals ahead of the Pujas.
Raj Bhavan has asked Nabanna to release the 16 foreign nationals after getting clearance from the Union home ministry, sources said.
The ongoing spat between Raj Bhavan and Nabanna on different administrative issues, had intensified after Mr Bose sent back the state government’s list of the 71 prison- ers to Nabanna seeking its clarifications on the state government norms in choosing the ‘suitable’ ones from among the ‘eligible’ prisoners.
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The state government could not give a ‘satisfactory response’, Raj Bhavan sources claimed, adding that the Governor ordered the release of the term convicts on human- itarian grounds after directing the state government to follow ‘objective norms.’
The state government released many prisoners on Independence Day and Republic Day respectively every year considering their performance mainly good behaviour and health condition. Several departments including prison, home, law and judiciary prepare the list of prisoners recommending their release.
There are four free correctional homes in Raiganj, Lal- gola, Durgapur and Midnapore in the state. Thousands of prisoners stay there.
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