Food festival by inmates of correctional home on Friday

Kolkata: In a unique move, the state Correctional Administration department is providing the opportunity for common people to savour dishes cooked by the inmates of Alipore Central Correctional Home (ACCH). The premises of ACCH will be the host to a day-long festival as part of Diwali celebration of four correctional homes in the city on Friday.

Apart from food, various products made by the inmates of Alipore, Presidency Correctional Home, Dum Dum Central Correctional Home and Alipore Women Correctional Home will also be displayed and sold on the day. The fair titled Dipawali Mela that will be held from 11 am to 7 pm will be open for all. State Correctional Administration minister Ujjal Biswas will inaugurate the fair.

"Ten inmates of ACCH have formed a self help group and have been running a canteen here for more than a year. They had received training in cooking from chefs of a leading five star hotel in the city. The Biriyani, Pav Bhaji, snacks like Veg/Chicken Chop, Chicken Pakora that they are cooking on a regular basis have been appreciated by the inmates as well as the staff of the correctional home. Now, common people will also get the opportunity to satiate their taste buds with their cooked food," a senior official of the department said.

"Our aim is to showcase the enormous talent that the correctional home inmates have and make their handmade products reach the common people," Biswas said.

The department in association with a number of NGOs has been organising exhibitions of handmade articles from jute and various other materials to create a market for the various products made by inmates. The department is holding talks with some petrol pump owners on the state and national highways for setting up stores for selling the products made by them.