BHUBANESWAR: Inmates of Special Jail at Jharpada will now manufacture food products like wheat and gram flour, turmeric powder and puffed rice. Locals can buy the products at a reasonable rate from a sale outlet outside the jail campus.Director General of Prisons and Director Correctional Services Santosh Kumar Upadhyay inaugurated the outlet outside the Special Jail on Friday. The jail staff will sell the products in the shop for six days in a week.
“The Odisha Model Jail Manual-2020 emphasizes on welfare, reformation, rehabilitation of the prisoners and to provide them congenial environment so that they join the mainstream after being released from jails”, said Upadhyay.Jail officials said skill development of the inmates while manufacturing the products will help them to set up their own business when they walk out of the jails.
Upadhyay said the State government has been requested to increase the amount of financial assistance provided to the convicts during their release to Rs 50,000 from the existing Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000. “This will help them start their own business,” said Upadhyay.
At the shop, while 1 kg of turmeric will cost Rs 120, gram flour would be sold at Rs 80 per kg, wheat flour at Rs 30 per kg and a packet of 130 grams of puffed rice can be bought for Rs 10. While raw turmeric will be procured from Phulbani, raw materials of other products would be purchased from the local markets.
This apart, the Special Jail will soon start an intercom facility as part of its e-Mulakat services.