First time in India, prisoners now in online food delivery business

Chandigarh:Burail Jail has perhaps become the first prison in the country to get into the burgeoning online food order business. So the next time you plan to host a big party at home, just go to the website chdmodeljail.gov.in, click on ‘food and other articles’ and you can have delectable samosas or syrupy gulab jamuns prepared by prisoners delivered at your doorstep by the jail staff.
Prices have been kept reasonable too. If you want a sandwich, you can have it for Rs 19. Cost for it goes down to Rs 13 per piece if you order a minimum of 50. There is GST at 5%, of course. The menu has a lot to offer and officials at the jail in Sector 51 said more items will be added. There is a small catch though. Jail staff have specified minimum orders for home delivery. But that’s not too much of a deterrent, OP Mishra (IG, Prisons) said. “Business is good and it will pick up,” he said.
Officials said all food items on sale are prepared by trained inmates under expert supervision. “We ensure that the kitchen’s hygiene is maintained and rates of the products are kept competitive,” jail staff added. They said that inmates learn different types of work and many have taken a shine to making food.
“Those who make sweets in jail, for instance, can work at a sweet shop or can even open their own once out,” a jail official said. Mishra said that those who aren’t interested in ordering the food but want to eat stuff made by prisoners can just go to the jail canteen at Shopping-cum-Visitor Complex, Model Jail, Sector 51. What’s more, an exclusive outlet is coming up in Sector 22 soon.