Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 23 (IANS) Aiming to generate income and also improve the landscape within prison premises, the government has decided to use large tracts of land in Indian jails for medicinal plants and kitchen gardens.

The decision comes following recommendations of the home ministry’s parliamentary standing committee.

The panel in its report on the implementation of government scheme on modernisation of prisons had recommended that the large swathes of underutilised land in jails could be used for planting medicinal plants, horticulture and kitchen gardens.

?This should be encouraged as it would not only increase the income of prisons but would also lead to improving the physical environment in the jail premises,? according to the panel recommendations.

Prison authorities have been asked to implement the plan in collaboration with horticulture departments in their states. Help of inmates in maintaining the plantation can also be taken.

The recommendations were forwarded to the home ministry and in its action taken report tabled in the Rajya Sabha Thursday. The government said the panel’s observations had been sent to state governments and many had already initiated the process.

In the capital’s Tihar prison, for instance, horticulture activities are being taken up in a ?big way? to make jail environment clean and green. ?Nurseries in jails are nurturing plants which are sold to public through Tihar Haat.?

The report added that the system of horticulture and vegetable plantation was in ?force in? Andaman and Nicobar much like the same way as in other states.

In Uttar Pradesh, jail authorities have begun to cultivate vegetable on about 682 hectares of land in the state prisons. ?The (state) government was also considering to cultivate spices and flowers in the available land of prisons.?

However, in Jammu and Kashmir, the plan could not be implemented because in view of the insufficient land available in the jails.