LUCKNOW: In a fresh order issued by the state home department, the in-house canteens of jails in Uttar Pradesh would now only serve packaged food items. Amending its earlier order of November 2005, the department has done away with existing menu of 13 cooked edible items that were available for purchase by inmates at the jail canteens.
As per the official sources, the new order has come following detection of irregularities in the sale of food item existing on menu which consisted of Aloo Paratha, Chhole-Bhature, Samosa, Bread -Pakodas, Halwa and Jalebi among delicacies. Consequently, a new menu has been proposed comprising 20 items, mostly
packaged and , branded food items.
The new menu includes 20 items including ten packaged edible items like milk, curd, ghee, biscuits, snacks and pickles. The remaining ten things on the list include regular items like toothbrush,
toothpaste and undergarments among other essentials which will also be sold in the jail canteens.
Recently, a video of Raebareli district jail had gone viral where inmates where heard complaint about the poor quality food item being sold at exorbitant prices in the jail canteen.
As per ADG, Jails, Chandra Prakash, complaints of corruption and extortion on the pretext of supply raw material to jail canteens were being received. As a result, the jail headquarters sent a proposal to the home department recommending a ban on 13 food items which were cooked in the canteens.
“This will check the irregularities and practice of supplying sub-quality food material at high rates to jail canteens. As per the government order, if any jail employee or official will be found facilitating sale of banned food items in jail canteens stealthily, stern action will be initiated against them,”
said a senior official at headquarters in Lucknow.