Tamil Nadu: Prisons Dept set to take over century-old Prisoners’ Aid Society

CHENNAI: The Department of Prisons and Correctional Administration is set to take over the century-old Tamil Nadu Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society (TNDPAS).

The department is also seeking to introduce amendments at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for Friday, aiming to ratify appointments, accept resignations, and revise the designations of directors.

The move is seen as an attempt to remove the administrative powers currently held by civil society representatives.

Established on February 15, 1921, as a non-official agency, the TNDPAS was incorporated on July 11, 1921, under the Companies Act of 1913 as a non-profit, public limited company without shareholding.

The central committee of the society operates from a nine-storey building on Anna Salai in Teynampet, Chennai, and maintains committees in 16 districts across the state.

The primary objective of the society is to generate revenue through its properties in order to provide financial assistance to released prisoners, aiding in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

However, except for the district committees in Vellore and Coimbatore, most other units have reportedly failed to serve its purpose, leaving hundreds of released prisoners in the lurch.

The central committee in Chennai, in particular, has remained largely defunct for several years and has also become embroiled in a legal dispute over prime property in Chennai.

“The society has failed to serve the best interests of released prisoners. Since the Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, who were responsible for the society’s functioning, did not cooperate with the department in rehabilitation efforts, the department has initiated steps to reclaim the organisation,” said a source privy to the development.

He noted that Friday’s meeting agenda stems directly from these longstanding issues and recalled a legal dispute in the Madras High Court over 12 grounds of land in Teynampet, which had been leased for a meagre Rs 30,000 per month for a period of 45 years.

Among the key amendments proposed is the appointment of the Director General of Prisons, Maheswarar Dayal, as a Director of the Society, and DGP (Headquarters) Kanagaraj as Director (Finance). However, these moves have met with resistance from some district committee members.

“The department should instead identify and replace individual troublemakers with those who are genuinely committed to the cause, turning the society into an extended wing of the department. It is in stark contradiction to its by-laws,” said a society member from Vellore, while a member from Coimbatore expressed similar concerns.

SN Janardhanan, Secretary of the Vellore district unit of TNDPAS, called the move ‘regressive’ and stated that he would register his protest at the meeting.

In addition to the proposed amendments to the Articles and Memorandum of Association in line with the Companies Act, it also proposes another agenda item includes restructuring the district committees by appointing Superintendents of Central Prisons in the respective districts as Secretaries, and Probation Officers as Treasurers.

“These agendas and the very convening of the meeting are part of a premeditated move by the department to eliminate civil society participation,” Janardhanan added.

Senior prison officials, however, rejected these allegations, stating that the changes are intended to improve the functioning of society. At the same time, they acknowledged that a potential ‘conflict of interest’ could arise if top officials of the department were to assume direct control over the society’s administration and finances.