Madhya Pradesh: ‘Salad’ likely on platter for prisoners in jails

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government is mulling to offer ‘salad’ along with the daily meal served to inmates across all prisons in the state, an official said.

“Providing ‘salads’ along with the meals is one of the measures being mooted by the Jail Department in its effort to make the food in state’s prisons more nutritious,” said Sanjay Choudhary, Director General (Jail).

The issue was discussed at a meeting here on Friday convened to review the functioning of jails in state.

It was chaired by Minister for Jail Kusum Mehdele and attended by Jail department’s senior officials along with the superintendents of 39 district and 11 Central jails.

After the Bhopal’s Central prison jail break by eight operatives of the outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in October this year, Jail department had banned outside food items, mostly brought by the family members of the inmates in all jails of the state.

“The meeting was informed that essential items like tooth-paste and brush would also be provided in the jails. However, there would be total ban on bidis and cigarettes,” a Public Relations department officer said.

It was also decided that additional barracks would be constructed in those jails that are housing more inmates than their capacities.

“Outer walls of the jails would also be constructed. The minister assured that the issues raised by the jail superintendents would also be soon sorted out,” he added.

PTI