Thaindian News

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 28 (IANS) For the first time in Kerala, food made behind bars is about to be marketed outside and the project will make a beginning with the humble chapati priced at Rs.2 each.

Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) Alexander Jacob said this facility would be inaugurated Monday evening by Tamil actor Cheran at the Poojapura central jail here.

“We are able to provide chapati at just Rs.2 because we have cheap labour available in the prison. Today we have got the first order for 500 chapatis and it would be launched by the Tamil actor,” said Jacob, whose brainchild the project is.

Normally a chapati costs Rs.6 at eateries outside.

While prisoners will make the dough, a chapati-making machine will churn out the final product. A brand new chapati-maker has been installed in the jail at a cost of Rs.2.64 lakh.

“Right now we will market the product as Poojapura chapati. We can take orders of up to 20,000 daily because that is the installed capacity of the machine. Let us see if we need to give our chapati a brand name,” said Jacob.

“We have plans to produce bread and for that the government has to provide us funds to erect a plant for making it. We are hopeful that things will fall into place and we can compete with other similar products and get a good market because our input cost is very low,” said Jacob.

Vegetables and milk produced inside the jail are already being sold outside.