New Delhi, Nov. 30 -- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been taking various initiatives to address the issue of undertrial prisoners and overcrowding in prisons, said Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra on Tuesday.
In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Mishra said, as on December 31, 2019, as against the available capacity of 4,03,739, there were 4,78,600 prisoners in the jails of the country, with a national occupancy rate of 118.5 per cent.
He said in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the MHA had issued an advisory to all States and UTs on March 12, 2020, advising them to take appropriate precautions and steps for preventing the spread of virus in prisons.
To reduce overcrowding in prisons amid Covid-19, the Minister said the...