Govt hikes daily diet expenses of prisoners

Bhubaneswar: In view of inflation and steep rise in prices of essential commodities, including fuel and

LPG

, the state government has enhanced the daily dietary expenses of prisoners. According to a state home department order on Monday, the diet cost has been increased from Rs 64 to Rs 80 per prisoner per day. Around 19,571 inmates are lodged in 87 jails in the state against the capacity of 20,027. The government, which was spending around Rs 43.8 crore annually towards the diet of prisoners, will now have to bear an additional burden of Rs 11.68 crore. “We had proposed to the government to enhance the dietary cost owing to price rise of essential commodities. As per the jail manual, a normal prisoner will get a diet containing 2,816.74 kcal and pregnant inmates 3,100 kcal per day,” DG (prisons and correctional services) Santosh Upadhyay said.