MUMBAI: A week after the row over actor Sanjay Dutt ’s leave from jail, the state home department is all set to amend furlough rules so that no scope arises for prison officials to use discretionary powers.After a meeting of senior officials of the prison, home and law departments, principal secretary (prisons) Vijay Satbir Singh confirmed to TOI that the government will simplify the rules for furlough. Singh said that as per the existing rules, a prisoner is entitled to 14 days of furlough a year , which can be extended by another 14 days depending on the report of law enforcing agencies.Singh said furlough is granted on the basis of a police report and if the prison inmate seeks extension, a fresh report is sought. If there is no objection, furlough is granted. “We have asked the jail administration to secure reports from the police for 28 days, so that if an extension of furlough is sought, there is no need for a fresh police report.”Singh said it has also been proposed to cut the maximum furlough period from 28 days to 21 days a year for prisoners who have been convicted for five years and more. For shorter prison sentences, furlough will remain 28 days a year. “Furlough will be at the very start for 21 days on the basis of a police report and there will be no question of extension (thus, no need for a fresh police report). We are in the process of drafting new rules, which we expect will come into effect in three months.”On the probe against deputy inspector general of prisons Rajendra Dhamne, Singh said that prima facie it appears that there was inept handling of Dutt’s furlough application. “We have asked the inspector general of prisons to submit a report on the role of Dhamne. After receiving the report, we will initiate a departmental probe against him.”Dutt, convicted for illegal weapons possession in a case linked to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, is lodged in Pune’s Yerwada jail . In early January, he had submitted an application for furlough and accordingly was released for 14 days. A day before furlough ended, Dutt sought an extension of another 14 days on medical grounds. There was confusion on whether his application was accepted or not. There was also a delay in taking a decision, as the prison administration did not receive a report from the Bandra police.The police claimed that a letter from jail authorities was received after the furlough period expired. “The home department took the view that owing to inept handling of the furlough application and lack of supervision and communication at all levels, the government, particularly the chief minister, had to face an embarrassing situation. All along, an impression was created that the government was in favour of Dutt,” a senior IPS officer said.