Coronavirus: Inmates of Bengal prisons won't be allowed to

Inmates of all correctional homes in West Bengal will not be allowed to meet their family members till March 31 in wake of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said on Friday.

The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure, said a senior officer of the West Bengal Correctional Services Department.

"We see a large gathering of visitors, mostly family members, in front of correctional homes throughout the state every day. It has been a concern for us since the process was hindering social distancing, which is one of the effective tools to tackle coronavirus," the officer said.

"Keeping this in mind, a decision was taken to not allow such meetings till March 31 or until further orders were issued depending on the situation," he said.

All the superintendents have been asked to see that the reason for such a measure is explained well to the prisoners and their relatives so that there is no resentment, he added.

Family members of the inmates will be allowed to dial the correctional homes to get information on the health of the concerned prisoner during this period, he said.