Guwahati, Jul 21 (IANS): The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has asked the state government to submit an action taken report by August 5 about the enforcement of the COVID-19 protocols in the Guwahati Central Jail, officials said on Tuesday.

There are reports that a large number of inmates in the Guwahati Central Jail were infected by the COVID-19.

The AHRC, headed by Justice T. Vaiphei, issued the notice to Assam Chief Secretary and Inspector General (Prison) on Monday following a complaint filed by opposition leader Debrabrata Saikia.

Saikia, a senior Congress legislator, had earlier complained to AHRC about negligence in providing suitable healthcare facilities, hygiene and foods to the prisoners and undertrials of the Central Jail in Guwahati and other jails and correctional homes across the state.

The Congress lawmaker also cited the non-compliance of the mandatory COVID-19 protocol by the jail authorities.

Saikia had also earlier written letters to Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna and Inspector General (Prison) Dasharath Das demanding an inquiry into the matter and also sought the release of undertrial prisoners, while referring the Supreme Court's March 23 order that had directed state governments to release prisoners on bail or parole in a bid to decongest the jails across the country owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In pursuance to the Supreme Court's order, different state governments of the northeastern region including Assam have taken several steps to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus in jails.In all the eight northeastern states, several thousand prisoners had already been released on interim bail or PR Bond to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic inside the jails.

Assam has registered 25,092 COVID-19 positive cases till Tuesday night, while 17,095 patients have recovered from the infection and 58 succumbed to the virus. Assam has 7,936 active cases.