The Centre has urged the Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice to help reduce the number of inmates in jails, especially those facing trial for petty crimes.<br/><br/>The move has been initiated to reduce burden on overcrowded jails.<br/><br/>This will also help the state governments to save money being spent on undertrials.<br/><br/>According to highly placed sources in the Punjab Govt., acting on the recommendation of the Union Ministry of Law and Justice the state government has decided to release a good number of jail inmates on bail who are currently facing trial for petty crimes like theft, snatching, trespassing, drinking at public places, accidents and corruption cases etc.<br/><br/>However, before releasing them on bail, their antecedents will be verified and they have to report at police stations at regular intervals about their whereabouts and movement till the decision of their cases.<br/><br/>Currently there are more than 17000 persons lodged in Punjab’s 26 jails including 922 women. Of which more than 6200 are actual convicts while the rest are facing trials in various crimes. The Government has to spend Rs. 80 daily on every inmate.<br/>