A total of 189 inmates lodged in different prisons of Maharashtra will be released on the Republic Day next week as part of a special remission programme, officials said on Wednesday.

The Maharashtra Prisons Department said in a statement that in order to commemorate the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', the

Centre has decided to give special remission to certain categories of prisoners on the basis of their good conduct during their term and free them on three occasions - August 15, 2022, January 26, 2023, and? August 15, 2023.?

The state government issued an order to give special remission to 189 prisoners. As per the orders, all these 189 prisoners will be released on the occasion of Republic Day on January 26, 2023, it said.

According to jail authorities, special remission is given to certain categories of prisoners who have been showing good conduct.?

Of these 189 prisoners, 16 are those who are 60 years of age or above and have completed 50 per cent of the total sentence and 162 are those who have completed two-third part (66 per cent) of the total sentence. Ten of these prisoners are aged between 18 and 21 years, who never committed any crime again, while one prisoner belongs to a poor category, who completed the sentence but could not be released due to non-payment of fine imposed on him or her, they said.

These 189 inmates are lodged in the central jails of Yerawada in Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Amravati, Kolhapur and Thane, they added.