The Maharashtra State Government has announced that it will release an additional 11,000 prisoners from the state’s prisons in a bid to ensure social distancing and contain the spread of COVID-19. Data suggests that the state has already released 9,671 prisoners from its jails. State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said that the state has set up 31 temporary prisons across 24 districts. The 11,000 prisoners will be released on emergency parole, Deshmukh said.
Also read - Around 3,500 Prisoners Released From Jails In Thane District: Anil Deshmukh
In May, a high-level committee appointed by the state government decided to release 50% of the inmates from the state’s prisons. This was done to decongest the prison population of the state. Several reports of coronavirus outbreaks have been reported from prisons across the state, which ultimately led to the home ministry taking the call on the release of the prisoners as well as the setting up of temporary prisons.
Meanwhile, the coronavirus is not showing signs of slowing down with positive cases inching towards the 83,000-mark in Maharashtra as of the most recent data. Mumbai continues to be the worst affected region in the state with 47,354 positive cases reported until now. It is also said that nearly 30% of all tests conducted in Mumbai have returned positive for the coronavirus.
As the city braces for lockdown relaxations starting today (June 8), commuters were faced with massive traffic hold-ups as several private vehicles plied on the streets for the first time in a while. Meanwhile, authorities announced that shops in Dadar can remain open until 8 PM as long as it doesn’t come under a containment zone.
Relevant reading - Overcrowded Jails: Maharashtra Government Yet To Decide On A Supreme Court's Recommendation
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