No prisoner in J&K jails has tested positive for COVID-19 so far: Prison officials
Srinagar: At a time when J&K is grappling with the Covid challenge with positive cases and deaths showing a spurt on daily basis, the UT’s Prisons department has a reason to cheer as not a single prisoner lodged in 13 major jails of the UT has been found Covid positive so far.
Prisons department officials say that in 13 major prisons of the UT, no prisoner has been found Covid positive thus far. The zero positive figure in J&K jails comes at a time when reports continue to pour in from New Delhi and elsewhere about many Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails there testing positive for the Covid-19.
“In 13 prisons, there are 4550 prisoners lodged at the moment and none is positive for Covid,” officials said.
They said in Kotbalwal Jail Jammu, there are 884 prisoners lodged at present and nobody is positive for the Covid.
Similarly, in Srinagar Central Jail, none of the 612 prisoners lodged there is positive. Some is the case with 666 prisoners lodged in District Jail Jammu, 345 in District Jail Kathua, 474 in District Jail Udhampur, 171 in District Jail Bhaderwah, 251 in District Jail Rajouri, 300 in District Jail Baramulla, 261 in District Jail Kupwara and 285 at District Jail Anantnag, they say.
The figures state that there are 171 inmates at Special Jail (Correctional Home) Pulwama, 80 at District Jail Kishtwar and 50 prisoners are lodged at Sub-Jail Reasi.
There have been seven new arrivals to the various jails of J&K besides the previous figure of 206.
J&K’s Director General Prisons, V K Singh, said that all new arrivals are being accepted only with Covid negative certificate.
“In case of a Covid positive prisoner, he/she is being shifted to GMC with guard till the same comes Covid negative. Even negative cases on arrival are put under mandatory quarantine,” he said.
“Every prisoner wears face masks, uses sanitizers while jails are being fumigated constantly.” (KNO)
