Govt asked to hike daily dietary expenses of prisoners

Bhubaneswar: The state prisons department has submitted a proposal to the govt requesting an increase in the daily dietary expenses of prisoners from the existing Rs 80 per inmate to Rs 120, considering the escalating costs of essential food items.

The state has 87 jails, which have a total capacity of 24,196 inmates. About 16,900 prisoners are currently in jail, including 13,000 undertrials.

"Presently, the prisoners are given three meals (2816.74 kilocalories) a day. A proposal has been sent to the govt to revise the cost of the dietary charges to Rs 120 per day for each inmate," director (prisons) Arun Kumar Ray said.

The last revision was done in April 2022, increasing from Rs 64 to Rs 80 daily and before that in April 2015 when it was raised from Rs 60 to Rs 64 per day.

The prison administration's current annual food expenditure ranges between Rs 50 crore and Rs 57 crore, varying with changes in the population of prisoners. The proposed increase would require an additional Rs 20 crore, sources said.

The quality of food served to jail inmates has often come under the scrutiny of national and state human rights commissions. The prisons directorate recently noted deteriorating food standards in several jails, attributed to contractors bidding significantly below govt-sanctioned rates.

"While the govt-approved diet (breakfast, lunch and dinner) rate is Rs 80 per inmate per day, some contractors were selected to supply the meals between Rs 61 and Rs 70, affecting the quality of food. We have streamlined the tendering process," Ray added.

An internal assessment found contractors providing meals at rates about 25% below the approved budget, compromising nutritional standards and food quality.

Sources indicated that at Jharpada special jail in Bhubaneswar, a vendor supplies three daily meals for Rs 61.40, while at Baripada circle jail, the rate stands at Rs 79.47.

"It has been decided to accept the lowest tender price whose quote is a maximum of 6% less than the govt-approved budget. Those who bid at abnormally low prices to bag the tenders will be disqualified," another jail official said.

The jail administration plans to implement enhanced monitoring systems, including regular quality assessments, unannounced inspections and prisoner feedback. Kitchen facilities will undergo more regular audits to ensure adherence to nutritional standards.