COVID-19: Punjab to give parole to 6000 prisoners from jails to decongest prisons, says State Jail Minister

To decongest prisons in wake of COVID-19, Punjab is giving parole to 6000 prisoners from jails across the state, these are prisoners who were sentenced to less than seven years in prison, said Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Punjab Jail Minister on Thursday.

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], Mar 26 : To decongest prisons in wake of COVID-19, Punjab is giving parole to 6000 prisoners from jails across the state, these are prisoners who were sentenced to less than seven years in prison, said Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Punjab Jail Minister on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the total number of cases in Punjab rose to 33, after two more people test positive for coronavirus.

Of the two, one person is from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and is a contact of another positive patient and the second case is from Jalandhar and the patient has a travel history.

In another development, the Haryana government has also decided to release convicted prisoners with up to seven years of sentence on parole or bail. This move is taken in order to de-congest prisons, said state Jail Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala on Wednesday.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive coronavirus cases in the country now stands at 649, including 593 active cases.

( With inputs from ANI )