During festivities, inmates appeal to jail authorities for a change in menu. From Sasthi to Dashami (the beginning and end of Durga Puja), jail authorities try to bring interesting changes for inmates, both convicts and those under trial.
Officials say this is done by saving a small portion of the diet a few months before the festive season so that no extra cost is incurred.
“Jails are correctional homes. Before the festivities, inmates write to us for better food. With the menu this year, we hope to bring smiles among the inmates as part of the reform process,” said a senior jail official of Barrackpore sub-correctional home.
“The inmates who work as cooks and helpers in the jail canteen will make the delicacies for the five days of festivities,” said a senior jail officer from Burdwan Central Correctional Home.
“In our lunch on Dashami, we are planning to serve biryani. On Ashtami, khichuri, labra, luchi aloor dum and payesh will be there for the inmates. Apart from rice and vegetables on other festive days (Sasthi, Saptami, and Nabami), we will serve mutton kosha, chicken curry, and fish curries. For dessert, we will have ice cream,” said a senior jail official at Alipore Correctional Home, also known as Presidency Central Jail.
Apart from Sandip Ghosh, an accused in the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder and financial scam cases, Presidency jail houses former education minister Partha Chatterjee and former food minister Jyotipriyo Mullick (they are accused in school recruitment and ration scams respectively).
This year, Barrackpore special jail’s menu for inmates features dishes like begun bhaja (brinjal fry), chilli fish, jalebi, and katla macher kalia (matured Katla carp in a gravy made of red onions, ginger, and yoghurt sauce).
For Sashti (October 9), there is macher matha diye pui shak for lunch. On Ashtami (October 11), breakfast will consist of luchi and cholar dal. Lunch will be of khichuri (Bengali salty porridge), Labra (spinach with assorted vegetables), begun bhaja and payesh.
On Nabami (October 12), lunch includes rice, chicken curry and salad. The dinner on that day will be rice, macher matha diye dal and alu potol chingri. The Dashami lunch is mutton biryani and Raita, followed by a dinner of rice, dal fish curry, and sweets.
In Bardhaman Central Jail, Sasthi lunch features potol chingri. On Saptami, lunch will be Katla Macher Kalia (matured Katla carp in a gravy made of red onions, ginger, and yoghurt sauce).
Ashtami will see luchi cholar Dal as breakfast followed by khichuri, chatni papad and payesh. On Nabami, apart from chicken curry, there will be chilli paneer for dinner. Dashami here too is a show stealer with a breakfast of Radhaballavi and chana masala followed by basanti pulao and mutton kosha.
Click here to join The Indian Express on WhatsApp and get latest news and updates