Correctional home authorities across West Bengal have planned a special Durga Puja menu featuring festive delicacies like mutton biryani and basanti pulao to ensure that inmates do not feel excluded from the celebrations.
The revamped meal plan will be in effect from Sasthi (October 9) to Dashami (October 12), marking the span of the Durga Puja festival, an official said on Saturday.
“The inmates frequently request better food during festivals. This year, we have a new menu, which we hope will bring smiles to their faces. I personally see this as a very positive step towards their reformation,” the official added.
The new menu, set to delight both convicts and undertrials, includes a wide range of Bengali delicacies such as macher matha diye pui shak (Malabar spinach with fish head), macher matha diye dal (dal with fish head), luchi-cholar dal (puri with Bengali-style chana dal), payesh (Bengali rice pudding), chicken curry, and alu potol chingri (shrimp with pointed gourd and potato).
The highlight of the menu will be mutton biryani served with raita and the classic basanti pulao (yellow pulao).
The decision to involve inmates in preparing these dishes adds to the festive spirit, as those working as cooks will be in charge of making the meals. "We want to give them a change from their routine, something that makes them feel part of the festivities. For many Bengalis, Durga Puja is synonymous with indulgent meals featuring fish and meat, so we wanted to give them something they could enjoy," the official explained.
However, the authorities are mindful of respecting the religious sentiments of the inmates. Non-vegetarian food will not be forced on anyone, and prisoners will have the option to choose from the menu according to their preferences.
One of the correctional facilities, Presidency Jail, currently houses prominent figures such as former state ministers Partha Chatterjee and Jyoti Priya Mallick, as well as former RG Kar Medical College principal Sandip Ghosh.
Chatterjee is implicated in a school recruitment scam, Mallick in irregularities related to the public distribution system, and Ghosh in the alleged tampering of evidence in a rape-murder case and financial misconduct at the hospital.
West Bengal's correctional homes currently house 26,994 male and 1,778 female inmates across 59 facilities.
“For every major festival, we try to make special arrangements to ensure the inmates don’t feel left out,” another official mentioned, adding that the festive menu will be served across all the state’s correctional homes.
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