KOCHI: Jails are no more mere detention centres. They are a money-spinning source for the state exchequer. In the 2018-2019 fiscal, profit from the sale of various products sold from Kakkanad district jail alone was Rs 49 lakh. With the launch of the facility to sell food items online, revenue is expected to witness a substantial increase in the current fiscal. Sale of food products through online platform is generating a revenue of around Rs 20,000 per day at Thiruvananthapuram.
“Here, we sell food products worth Rs 75,000 a day. The daily profit is around Rs 25,000 now. With the introduction of an online delivery system, we expect a sale of Rs 1 lakh daily. The profit we expect is around Rs 40,000 daily,” an officer said.
Daily 17,000 chappatis are prepared at the district jail. Around 250 packets of biryanis are also prepared and sold each day. “We expect to increase chappati production to 25,000 a day. Similarly, we also have to increase production of biryani to more than 300 packets a day,” the officer said.
Two more mobile units
Kakkanad district jail is slated to get two more vehicles to start mobile food stalls in various parts of Kochi. Currently, the existing mobile unit at Vytilla mobility hub operates from 11 am to 12 pm. The one at Ernakulam General Hospital functions from noon to 1 pm and the one on High Court premises is open from 1 pm to 4 pm. “Two more vehicles are to be procured using the fund granted by P T Thomas, MLA, and Hibi Eden, MP. Sales are expected to go up when two more units are operational,” said an officer.
Vegetables and fish
Other than cooked food, inmates of district jail are also engaged in vegetable and fish farming. “Vegetables are to be harvested during Onam season. Fish farming started just a month ago and harvesting is slated to take place after six months,” an officer said.