Srinagar, May 1 (GNS): Director General of Prisons may formulate a policy or a scheme so that no inmate of the jail remains unvaccinated, Jammu and Kashmir High Court has said.
“We dispose of this writ petition with liberty to the petitioners to submit a comprehensive representation regarding the registration and vaccination of the prisoners to the Director General of Prisons, UT of J&K. In the event, any such representation is submitted, the Director General of Prisons, would consider it and take all possible immediate steps for the registration and the vaccination of the prisoners or may formulate a policy or a scheme so that no inmate of the jail remains unvaccinated,” said a division bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Rajnesh Oswal.
The petitioners— Naseem Qadri and Uzair Nazir Zarger—through their counsel Syed Musaib had sought direction to the prison authorizes to make available vaccine against COVID-19 virus for all the prison inmates lodged in various jails of Jammu and Kashmir. They had sought voluntary inoculation of the eligible prisoners lodged in the various jails and access to Co-Win app for the remaining prisoners to be counted among the future beneficiary list.
They said prisoners have a right of life which includes proper medication and protection against Covide-19 pandemic, as per GNS.
D.C.Raina, Advocate General submitted that the government was conscious of its obligation and appropriate steps are being taken for the vaccination of all the citizens including under-trial as well as convicted prisoners. “The prisoners are not going to be left out from vaccination and they would be vaccinated on turn at an appropriate time,” he said. (GNS)
