SRINAGAR: J&K government on Wednesday informed the high court that 223 people were released from different prisons of the Union Territory between April 1 and April 22 as per the recommendation of the high-powered committee in order to decongest jails during the Covid-19 pandemic.Submitting a report to the HC, director general (prisons) V K Singh told the court that the committee had recommended the release of 92 undertrials, 11 others detained under various sections of CrPC and 96 convicted prisoners, besides letting out 24 on parole, all of whom have now been released.About J&K prisoners outside the UT, Singh informed the court that while 15 are lodged in district jail, Karnal, two are in district jail, Jhajjar. Singh further told the court that all these detenues lodged in Haryana jails are being screened by medical teams twice a day and that the health status of all of them is being monitored daily. They have been found normal till April 21, Singh said, adding that besides these 15, there were some prisoners of J&K lodged in six UP jails.After perusing Singh ’s report, the court observed: “It appears that the jail authorities are conscious of the responsibility regarding the health and safety of the residents of J&K and Ladakh , who are lodged in prisons in other parts of India.”