Bhadrak: Amid coronavirus scare, the authorities of the district sub-jail here have introduced video conferencing facilities for the relatives of the jail inmates to talk with them.
The jail was built here in 1915. It has cells and can accommodate 166 inmates. However, the current number of prisoners is 364 among who 15 are women and two minors.
Some local residents have expressed their concerns as to how the spread of coronavirus can be checked if any one of the prisoners gets infected. As the situation stands, social distancing is impossible among the inmates.
“A new location has already been earmarked for construction of a new prison. But nothing has been done so far due to administration’s indifferent attitude,” said a prison official on condition of anonymity.
The authorities as a preventive measure have banned the entry of visitors to the prison premises. Instead family members of the prisoners can converse over video conferencing.
“We have made video conferencing between prisoners and their relatives mandatory. Mass prayer has already been stopped. Steps have been taken to keep the premises hygienically neat and clean. Health check up of the inmates is being carried out regularly. So as of now there is no fear of outbreak of COVID-19 inside the jail premises,” informed sub jail superintendent Kuanar Marandi.
PNN
