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Millets, organic veggies on Naini prison menu now
“The food will have a positive impact on the health of the inmates as Shri Ann is also believed to be effective in fighting diseases,” Senior jail superintendent of Naini Central Jail, Rang Bahadur said
The Naini Central Jail, Prayagraj has decided to include millets (coarse grains) in food served to prison inmates. The prison authorities are also serving organic vegetables to the prison inmates, jail officials said. What’s more, the millets and organic vegetables are being grown by inmates themselves within the prison, the officials said.
Naini Central Jail has 3,110 inmates at present, much more than the its capacity of 2060 inmates.
Senior jail superintendent of Naini Central Jail, Rang Bahadur said millets also referred to as ‘Shri Ann’ is being grown in the jail premises by the jail inmates. “Millet production was started on 2 acres land in the jail. In this way, Central Naini Jail has become the first jail to include Shri Ann in the diet of inmates. It has been given a place in the food menu of jail inmates. In this way, Central Naini Jail has become the first jail to include Shri Ann in the diet of inmates,” he said.
“The food will have a positive impact on the health of the inmates as Shri Ann is also believed to be effective in fighting diseases,” Rang Bahadur said. Chemical and pesticide free organic vegetables are also being grown in the jail premises.
“After getting proper training from an NGO, the inmates are growing organic vegetables. Cow dung available from the prison cow shed is being used as fertiliser to grow organic vegetables,” he said.
Omkar Nath Dubey, in-charge of the NGO Hans Foundation, that trained inmates said that green vegetables including cabbage, cauliflower, beans, carrots, spinach etc are being grown on more than 5 acres of land within the jail campus. The inmates have been trained by us,” he said.
The jail administration has also planted chemical fertiliser and pesticide-free potatoes in 15-acres inside the jail premises. “These potatoes, produced by the inmates, are being sent to other jails of the Prayagraj division as well,” he added.
Notwithstanding the wide range of benefits that millets provide, they were largely been missing from the staple crops due to inadequate knowledge of their benefits compounded by changing dietary habits, officials said.
“ln recent years, a lot of efforts have been taken by the government, and non-government organizations to promote millet as an important dietary choice, especially to ensure food security for all. India’s proposal to the United Nations for declaring 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’ was supported by 72 countries,” officials said.
