LAHORE (Dunya News) - Detailed figures have emerged regarding the annual cost of food and tea for 66,000 prisoners in Punjab, revealing a significant burden on the provincial prison budget.
According to the data, feeding inmates across the province, including 9,800 in Lahore's jails alone, incurs an annual cost of Rs 6 billion. In addition to meals, tea expenses reach Rs680 million each year.
Of this tea-related expenditure, Rs574.5 million is allocated for packaged milk, Rs81.2 million for tea leaves, and Rs25 million for sugar. In Lahore’s jails alone, Rs250 million is earmarked for tea preparation.
The figures also show that Lahore prisons will require 733,000 liters of milk, while prisons across Punjab will purchase over 2 million liters. Tea leaf procurement includes 17,700 kg for Lahore and 49,000 kg for the entire province.
Prison authorities note that tea-related costs have increased by Rs100 million compared to the previous fiscal year. All milk, tea, and sugar purchases have been contracted through a public tendering process.