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Corona outbreak: Punjab govt suspends jail visits till March 31
The inmates, however, will be able to call their families from official phones in the prisons.
The Punjab government on Monday suspended visits to jails across the state till March 31 over concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
The inmates, however, will be able to call their families from official phones in the prisons and emergency meetings could also be arranged under special circumstances.
The prison authorities have pasted notices outside the jails that relatives of prisoners/undertrials should not visit till further orders.
Additional director general of police (ADGP prisons) Parveen Kumar Sinha said, “The visits have been limited to absolute minimum.”
In Sangrur, the visitors were seen waiting to meet their relatives lodged in the district jail. “I came to meet my son but I was told that the meetings have been cancelled,” said Jasvir Singh, a visitor.
Bikkar Singh, another visitor said, “I had to give some money and clothes to my brother but I was told that we have to wait for further orders.”
Sangrur jail superintendent Balwinder Singh said, “The government wants to secure jail inmates from the threat of coronavirus. We have asked the relatives of prisoners not to come by the end of this month. The inmates will be able to call their relatives from jail.”
In Ludhiana, the authorities have announced to sanitise the complexes of the central jail, women jail and borstal jail.
Ludhiana central jail medical officer Dr Ankush Goel said the inmates have been made aware about the coronavirus and about precautions. They will be provided with masks, soaps and sanitisers, he added.
The central jail has around 3,100 inmates, against a capacity of 2,500.
