Ranchi, March 15 (IANS) The Jharkhand government Monday announced that a survey would be conducted of prisoners still in jail despite their sentence period getting over and they would be released.

'The Jharkhand government will survey prisoners of all jails who have exceeded their sentences in jail,' said Hemlal Murmu, Human Resources Development (HRD) minister, in the state assembly Monday.

He was replying to a question of Kamal Kishore Bhagat of the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU).

Bhagat wanted to know whether there is a provision in the jail manual to release life term prisoners after 14 years. 'The latest Supreme Court ruling says life term means life long. There is a state review committee which looks into the cases of life term prisoners and orders release of those whose conduct is good.'

To another query, the minister said: 'Prisoners who are staying in different jails beyond the sentence period will be released after the survey report.'