The minister for Correctional Administration, Shankar Chakraborty, said there were a large number of foreign nationals, the bulk of which are from Bangladesh, lodged in different correctional homes in the state.
"We have already initiated primary steps in getting them released from correctional homes and repatriated to their respective countries," Chakraborty told PTI.
The minister said that some prisoners in fact had already been released and repatriated to the neighbouring country since the Mamata Banerjee government took over the reins of the administration.
Some prisoners, Chakraborty said, had been released but their repatriation was taking some time because of delay in verification of their nationality.
"We are taking up the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs to expedite the matter. The Ministry of External Affairs was also working with the Bangladesh authorities," the minister said.
He said that the Centre was also having a dialogue with the authorities of the countries, where the prisoners hail from, to work out an agreement under which the inmates could serve the remaining part of the terms in their homelands.
Chakraborty said that the arrangement would free up space in the overcrowded jails and save resources as well. (More)
