Kerala Prisons Eye Menu Overhaul To Cut Costs, Boost Health
The plan drops mutton and fish from the menu, replacing them with chicken curry, soya chunks, and eggs. Right now, fish is served twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, with mutton featured on Saturdays
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Prisons Department is cooking up a new kind of reform — not in law, but in the kitchen.
In a letter to the Home Department, Prisons chief S. Sreejith has suggested major changes to jail menus across the state, aiming to save nearly ₹5.7 crore a year while boosting inmate health.
The plan drops mutton and fish from the menu, replacing them with chicken curry, soya chunks, and eggs. Officials say eating mutton regularly could lead to heart disease and other lifestyle illnesses, and that buying and storing mutton and fish in large quantities has always been a hassle.
The department currently spends ₹5.72 crore annually on mutton and ₹4.8 crore on fish. In comparison, chicken would cost only ₹1.26 crore, while soya and eggs combined would total ₹3.4 crore — a significant cut in expenses.
Right now, fish is served twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, with mutton featured on Saturdays. On vegetarian days, inmates are served vegetable curries. Those with medical conditions will still receive doctor‑prescribed diets to ensure their health needs are met.