Jammu jails to add pulses, milk, eggs to food menu

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A Rs 8.50 crore food procurement plan is likely to improve both the quality and nutritional value of food served to jail inmates in J&K’s Jammu district.

The reformative, health-conscious food menu initiated by the Director General of Prisons J&K, Deepak Kumar, will initially be implemented in two major jails in Jammu district. The DG Prisons will follow the same food menu improvement in other major jails across the union territory once the plan is implemented in the two jails identified for the purpose in Jammu district.

The J&K Prison Department has initiated a Rs 8.50-crore food procurement plan aimed at improving the quality and nutritional value of meals served to inmates in jails, with Central Jail Kot Bhalwal and District Jail Jammu among the facilities mentioned in reports.

Reports said the revised diet plan envisages a wider range of food items, including different varieties of pulses, milk, vegetables, dry fruits, dates and eggs.

Traditional Kashmiri food items, including 'haak' and 'nadru', have also been mentioned, while mutton is reportedly included for non-vegetarian inmates.

The initiative is aimed at providing a more balanced and varied diet for the prisoners, with greater emphasis on nutritional requirements and food quality.

DG Prisons Kumar is reportedly very keen to ensure that jail inmates do not suffer nutritional deficiencies as they serve their terms in prison. The reported procurement allocation of Rs 8.50 crore is expected to support the supply of food items under the proposed arrangements.

The Jammu & Kashmir Prisons Department is entrusted with the responsibility of providing correctional services to inmates in an environment conducive to reformation.

At present, there are 14 functional prisons, including two Central Jails, 10 District Jails, one Special Jail and one Sub Jail. Against a lodgement capacity of 3,629 inmates, the Department is accommodating more than 5,300 inmates.

Besides, the Department has a training centre -- Institute of Correctional Services at Mishriwala -- which provides training related to Prison Management (Basic Training and Refreshers) and a Holding Centre under its control.

Recently, the Prison Manual, 2022, for Superintendence and Management of Prisons in the UT of J&K has been notified by the government. The new Jail Manual has been prepared on the lines of the Model Prison Manual.

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