HYDERABAD: Unable to find any sustainable employment for the released inmates from Chanchalguda’s Special Prison for Women(SPW) unlike their male counterparts, Telangana state prisons and correctional services have decided to open a petrol pump to be run exclusively by those released from SPW.
The new petrol pump adjoining the prison campus, towards the Chanchalguda junior college, is expected to be inaugurated by the month end, said VK Singh, director general of prisons and correctional services. While it is being tried on a pilot basis, the first petrol pump will give employment to at least 25 women.
A job in the prison’s petrol pump will ensure a salary of `12,000 per month in Hyderabad and `9,000 per month in the districts. “Since it is going to be an all-women petrol pump, we are yet to work out the timings. Though initially it may not be open 24x7, but we are working towards it. There won’t be any discrimination in salary on the basis of gender,” he said.
Meanwhile, the existing petrol pump, operating at Chanchalguda crossroads since 2013 marks an average sale of `32 lakh per day and an average profit of `30 lakh per month has been recorded. As many as 35 serving prisoners and 10 released prisoners work here on three shifts.
The department is presently running petrol pumps at Cherlapally, Chanchalguda, Uppal, Warangal, Mahbubnagar, Khammam and Nalgonda. Hundreds of released prisoners are employed in these pumps which according to the DG is a money spinner too.
“Five of our new petrol pumps are ready for inauguration at Cherlapally, Warangal, Chanchalguda, Karimnagar and Asifabad. Nine more are in the pipeline. We are in the process of identifying lands. Indian Oil Corporation has to survey the lands for viability,” said the DG. He added that apart from government lands twenty-five private lands have been identified in different parts of the state.
At present, as many as 123 convicts, 107 undertrials and 9 detenues are lodged in the SPW against a capacity of 220. While many of them leave the prison on regular intervals, officials in-charge of their placement are unable to find any sustainable vocation for them.
They are usually trained in prison industries like candle making, book binding, tailoring and embroidary, chalk piece making, and also making of shawls, sling bags and woollen goods.
“When released, we try to put them in odd jobs without revealing their past identity. But they do not feel secure and do not draw good wages. They are highly vulnerable, especially, in some cases, when their families themselves disown them,” said Basheera Begum, superintendent, SPW.