PATNA: In a first-of-its-kind prison reform initiative, Bihar’s home (prison) department plans to open petrol and diesel pumps on vacant jail land and have inmates operate them.
Convicts serving long jail terms and covered under the prison reforms process will be assigned the task of operating the petrol pumps. However, undertrial prisoners and convicts involved in serious crimes will not be engaged in running the filling stations proposed on jail premises.
The Bihar home (prison) department has prepared a detailed proposal and sent it to the state finance department for approval. Consent from the Bihar law department will also be sought. The proposal will come into effect once it receives clearance from the state cabinet.
Following approval, the home (prison) department will sign an MoU with oil marketing companies for operating petrol and diesel filling stations on vacant jail land. The department has already decided to sign an agreement with Hindustan Petroleum in this regard.
According to a senior prison department official, a mechanism will also be developed to monitor the sale of petroleum products through the proposed filling stations. “The proposal is ready and awaiting finance department approval,” the officer said.
At present, 61,891 prisoners are lodged in Bihar’s 59 jails, including eight central jails, against a total capacity of 47,750 inmates. Prisoners operating the filling stations will also be paid wages, the official added.
Bihar could become the first state in the country to implement such a model if the proposal receives cabinet approval and is executed effectively. “This will increase the income of prisoners serving sentences in different jails of the state,” the officer said.