Bhubaneswar, Nov 11 (IANS) The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has sought detailed reports from the State Home Department and the Directorate of Prisons on the dietary arrangements for tribal prisoners in Odisha jails, particularly those located in or serving Scheduled Areas such as undivided Koraput district.
The commission issued the directions acting on an application filed by human rights activist Biswapriya Kanungo on October 12, 2026.
Kanungo, in his petition, pointed out that a large proportion of inmates lodged in prisons across Odisha belong to Scheduled Tribe communities, including those from the Scheduled Areas, among them the district of Koraput.
According to the plea, “these communities have distinctive food practices linked to their culture, customs, local agriculture and forest produce, such as ragi, other millets, traditional pulses, roots, tubers and leafy vegetables. It is alleged that some tribal prisoners are not taking the prescribed morning diet because of their traditional food habits, and that this is affecting their health.”
Kanungo requested that customary, locally available staples—such as ragi, millets, local pulses, tubers, and leafy vegetables—be incorporated into jail menus within existing nutritional guidelines. The complainant states that he does not claim any luxurious or personalised food, or any preferential entitlement based on tribal identity.
He prayed in his petition that the State prison dietary system should reasonably consider the nutritional value, local availability and customary dietary practices of the regions where prisons are situated, particularly prisons in or serving the Scheduled Areas, within the existing nutritional framework.
The complainant relies on various provisions of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Model Prison Manual, 2016, which allow dietary scales to vary according to local customs and food habits, recognise millets as cereals, and permit special diets on the recommendation of the Medical Officer. He also invokes paragraph 913 of the Odisha Model Jail Manual, 2020, Articles 14, 21, 29(1) and 46 of the Constitution.
Citing a judgment by the Supreme Court in this regard, the complainant argues that although Article 21 does not confer a right to personalised or luxurious food, the state must ensure that prisoners receive adequate, nutritious and medically appropriate meals.
Taking cognisance of the complaint, the OHRC directed the DG of Prisons to provide factual details and the Home Secretary to state the government’s policy stand on whether such traditional foods can be accommodated. Both authorities have been asked to submit their comprehensive reports ahead of the next hearing on December 4, 2026.
The Commission sought details of the existing prison diet, nutritional standards and daily expenditure per inmate, particularly in jails serving Scheduled Areas and housing tribal prisoners. It also asked the authorities to report on the inclusion of millets and other traditional local foods in prison meals, instances of inmates refusing prescribed diets due to food habits, and the State Government’s plans to incorporate locally available nutritious foods into the prison diet.
–IANS
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