Maharashtra cuts prison budget 10% to ₹739.9cr amid overcrowding
India
Maharashtra just cut its prison budget by 10% for 2024-25, dropping it to ₹739.9 crore.
Even though the state spends big overall, only about 19% actually goes toward inmates, well below the national average.
Meanwhile, prisons are packed way beyond capacity, with nearly 40,000 people squeezed into spaces built for just over 27,000.
Maharashtra inmates' budget mostly for food
Most of the inmates' budget is spent on food, leaving little for health care or welfare.
Staffing is also a huge issue: about 40% of prison jobs are unfilled and there's just one medical staffer for every 520 inmates.
On top of that, prisoners working inside earn as little as ₹53 a day, some of the lowest wages in India.