Maharashtra Prisons Department has launched a first-of-its-kind credit scheme for prisoners lodged in jails across the state.
The loan scheme named 'Jeevala' is introduced by the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank for the prisoners who are serving a jail sentence of more than 3 years.
The pilot was introduced for prisoners at Yerawada Central Jail in Pune, and will gradually be extended to nearly 60 prisons across the state.
Prisoners can use the loan for the education of their children, medical treatment of family members, legal fees or other expenses.