Kerala prisoners turn chefs, make chapatis

Pampering the taste buds of Keralites are some unusual chefs — prisoners, who are rolling out chapatis and preparing chicken and vegetarian curries for those outside the four walls of the jails.

Presently three prisons in the state — Poojapura Central Jail in Thiruvananthapuram, Viyoor central jail in Thrissur and the Kozikode district jail —have started the venture, which is running successfully with about 60,000 chapatis being made on an average daily with the help of machines by prisoners, says Chief Welfare Officer, Jail department, K A Kumaran.

While the Central prison in Thiruvananthapuram markets its chapatis as “Poojapura Chapaties,” Viyoor jail inmates have branded their product “freedom chapatis.”

There are also plans to start similar ventures in Ernakulam district jail and Kollam jail, Kumaran told PTI. A proposal in this regard will be submitted to the state government soon, he said.

In the Poojapura Central Jail, 40,000 chapatis, besides 3,500 packets of chicken and 500 packets of vegetarian curries are made on an average daily, says B Pradeep, Superintendent, Central Prison.

The demand for these ready-to-eat chapatis are so huge, they are sold out in no time, he told PTI.

While a packet containing five chapatis and chicken curry is priced at Rs 25, it is Rs 20 for same set with vegetable curry, he said.

The chapatis are ready by 9 am at the three outlets in Thiruvananthapuram.  People queue up to take away the packets, the superintendant said.