Sugarcane being harvested at the Open Air Jail in Salem in Tamil Nadu on Saturday, 11 January 2025.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Prisoners in Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, and Namakkal districts will receive sugarcane cultivated on prison grounds for this year’s Pongal festival. Harvesting of sugarcane began on Saturday at the Open Air Jail in Jahir Ammapalayam, Salem.

Each year during Pongal, the prison administration purchases sugarcane from the market to be distributed along with sweet pongal to inmates. This year, however, sugarcane was cultivated on a 10.67 acre plot belonging to Salem Central Prison.

Salem Central Prison Superintendent (in charge) G. Vinoth said that under the jurisdiction of Salem Central Prison there are two district prisons at Attur and Dharmapuri, and 11 sub-jails for men and one sub-jail for women are functioning in four districts. To avoid buying sugarcane from the market for prisoners, a total of 10,000 sugarcanes were cultivated.

A total of 1,600 prisoners in these four districts would receive a full-length sugarcane each on the Pongal festival. Remaining sugarcanes will be sold to the public through the prison bazaar at a low price, Mr. Vinoth added.