Will take care of all prisoners who tested +ve: HM

Nagpur: State home minister Anil Deshmukh said on Friday the spike in prisoners (219) testing Covid positive in Nagpur Central Jail was due to tests being conducted on them following his visit.
Sounding firm, Deshmukh stressed the prisoners testing positive would be quarantined and treated before being sent back to the barracks once they are healthy. The home minister had earlier said 281 prisoners and 90 jail staffers, in prisons across Maharashtra, had been cured after testing positive.
Deshmukh, who visited the prison with Addl DG Sunil Ramanand last week, said he has already reviewed the situation following the spike in number of Covid positive cases this week. “I am constantly monitoring and reviewing the situation in Nagpur Central Jail, and will not allow situation to go out of control,” he said.
Explaining the spike, Deshmukh said he decided to get prisoners tested, following which the substantial numbers came to fore. “I had insisted all prisoners must be tested and treated properly if found positive,” he said.
When asked about the vacant post of deputy inspector general of police, prison, eastern region, which is creating a gap in the management and administration, Deshmukh said that Addl DG Prison, the seniormost officer in the prison department, is camping in city to tackle the situation. “All due precautions are being taken by ADG (Ramanand) currently in Nagpur to oversee the management of the affected prison,” said the home minister.
Sources from the jail said that Swati Sathe, who was posted as DIG, prison, eastern region, is expected to join on Monday. She was posted around three weeks ago but could not join the posting. At present, Nagpur Central Jail’s administration is under SP, Central Jail, Anupkumar Kumre and also DIG Kamble, who is holding additional charge.
In response to TOI’s query about substantial number of prison staffers not attending work, Deshmukh said those above 55-years of age have been told to stay away as per the decision of the state government, as they are considered vulnerable to Covid.
Deshmukh also said adequate precaution is being taken for better management of prisoners, and also to ensure peace at the Central Jail when some unrest and violence among prisoners was mentioned.