Resuming ‘mulaqat’, preparing sweets: Delhi jails look to return to normalcy step-by-step

NEW DELHI:  From resuming ‘mulaqat’ to manufacturing candles and diyas to preparing sweets, Delhi prisons are gradually moving towards normalcy amid coronavirus pandemic, jail officials said on Sunday.

The officials maintain that all safeguards are being taken to prevent the spread of the disease as the jails resume pre-Covid-19 activities.

According to jail officials, Central Jail No 2 of Tihar and Jail No 14 of Mandoli, which house the bakeries, have gradually started increasing the quantity of sweets they prepare, like they used to earlier. 

‘Gulab Jamun’, ‘laddu’ and ‘coconut burfi’ are among the most sought after sweets prepared in these bakeries and later supplied in jails of Delhi prisons for sale.

The inmates can purchase these sweets and outsiders can get them through shops in the jail complex. These shops were closed in view of the pandemic situation, but they have now opened and gradually started supplying material.

“The bakeries inside the jails were functional earlier amid the pandemic. However, less quantity of sweets were prepared. The preparation is done with extra precautions keeping in mind the risks involved in the pandemic situation,” Sandeep Goel, Director General (Delhi prisons) said.

He said the prisons are now moving towards normalcy by taking all precautions against the coronavirus.

“We have also resumed ‘mulaqat’ between the inmates and their family members with due precautions. But now the inmates are allowed to meet their kin once a month to avoid overcrowding,” Goel said.

The jail administration had suspended the bi-weekly mulaqat (family meeting) following the Covid-19 outbreak. It, however, resumed the meetings from October 1, but now only one member of a family is allowed to meet the prisoners. 

Since March, all activities inside the jails were suspended, but now the administration has given its go-ahead to tasks like painting ‘diyas’ (lamps) and manufacturing candles.