Like every year, Ghaghidih Central Jail authorities are celebrating Durga Puja on the premises of the prison this year too, but with an extra budget.
This year’s Puja budget for the central jail is Rs 2.5 lakh, Rs 1 lakh up from last year.
Explaining the budget hike, jail superintendent Satyendra Kumar Chaudhury said it was necessitated due to inflation as well as the increase in the number of people who would have bhog on three days, such as jail inmates, and administrative and security staff.
In all, over 1,900 persons will have the bhog of khichdi, mixed vegetable, fried brinjal, kheer and chutney on Saptami, Ashtami and Navami this year. The number is about 300 more than last year. The central jail with a prisoner capacity of 1,447 accommodates over 1,860 inmates, including undertrial prisoners. This apart there are over newly appointed 40 jail staff, including security guards.
“We celebrate Durga Puja on the jail premises most simply. We do not spend much mo-ney on pandal decoration but we do focus on the bhog. As the number of jail inmates, including undertrial prisoners, has increased along with jail staff, we have to prepare a greater quantity of the bhog that we serve on three days. This is why the our budget has gone up this year,” said Chaudhury.
He added that on Navami, even outsiders and those contribute to the Puja in Ghaghidih jail were also served bhog.
The jail administration has started setting up the pandal for the Puja. By Shasthi, the idols of goddess Durga and her children would be put up for the grand Puja.
Jail inmates are not allowed to visit the venue of the Puja that is close to the entrance of the central jail. But on the day of Vijaya Dashami, idols are taken inside the jail premises for the inmates to have a glimpse of the goddess and take her blessings.
A senior jail official, when queried, said several inmates celebrated Durga Puja following rituals and fasting in their respective wards. “We know of at least five such inmates every year. May be this year the number of those devotees will go up as the overall prisoner count here has increased by 25 per cent,” he said.
