As part of the centenary celebrations of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, the state's Department of Prisons and Correctional Services
introduced a new food menu for inmates. The new meal plan was launched on Monday, June 5. As per the new guidelines, kanji (rice porridge) will not feature in the new menu. Instead a variety of chicken and vegetarian dishes have been added. Also, according to the prison’s department, the new menu will have a 30% hike in the daily food servings for every individual prisoner.
As per the new notification, for A class prisoners a daily expenditure of Rs 207.89 for each individual has been allocated as compared to the previous allocation Rs 146.44. Similarly the allocation for B class prisoners has been revised to Rs 135.26 from Rs 96.38. It is to be noted that inmates are classified into A and B classes based on various factors, including their educational qualifications and taxpayer status.
A Class prisoners will now get chicken curry thrice a week (Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays) as compared to the serving of chicken twice a week earlier. B Class prisoners will get chicken curry two days a week (Wednesday and Sunday) which was once a week till now. Breakfast will include wheat upma, groundnut chutney and coconut chutney on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
On Saturdays, inmates will be given idli and sambar, while on other days they will be provided lemon rice and coconut and fried gram chutney. Chapatis will be provided for dinner and evening tea will be accompanied with snacks like black channa, groundnut and green gram.
A class prisoners vegetarian prisoners will be provided with rice, ghee, rasam, sambar, vegetable curry, curd rice, banana or guava. B class vegetarian prisoners will be provided with potato curry, rava kesari, banana or guava.