As of June 13, 17, 695 screenings and 1681 swab tests were conducted in 10 Central Prisons in Maharashtra and in the Additional Director General, Prisons (ADGP) office of which 269 tested positive, 115 recovered and four died, the Bombay High Court was informed on Monday.

Sunil Ramanand, ADGP and Inspector General of Prisons filed a compliance report on number of COVID-19 cases in prisons.

The five page report showed, in Yerwada Central Prison at Pune, 4466 screenings were conducted and one inmate died. In Thane Central Prison 4000 screenings were conducted, 11 swab tests of which two were tested positive and they recovered. Four jail staffers tested positive and two were cured.

In Aurangabad Central Jail, 3318 screenings were conducted, out of 517 swabs 29 tested positive and 14 jail staffers were tested positive and two of them cured. In Solapur Central Jail 377 screenings were conducted and swabs took place of which 62 were tested positive and two cured.

Also read | Jails turn into hotbeds of disease

The report states Municipal Commissioners and District Collectors are the Designated Authorities under the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act. These two authorities are in charge of all the resources required to manage the outbreak of Covid-l9. In addition, Collectors have been empowered under the Prisons Act, to declare temporary prisons.

The Collector is also the Chairman of the Board of Visitors of every Prison of the Maharashtra State (except Mumbai).On the outbreak of Covid- 19 in Prisons, the Superintendents promptly inform these two authorities and seek their intervention in accordance with latest protocol.

It was further submitted that mass swab testing of asymptomatic prison inmates may not be undertaken until express assurance of quarantine facility is given by the Municipal Commissioner/Collectors as many of the prisons in the state are overcrowded.

Thane Central Prison is grossly overcrowded. The Superintendent has requested Collector Thane to open a temporary prison. However, no temporary prison has been opened as yet.

A letter dated June 14 issued by the ADG prisons permitted Superintendents to purchase additional cellular phone with a view to enforcing the circular dated February 12, 2019 whereby inmates of Prisons will be able to have wider interaction with family.