Shimla MC set to rob prisoners?
CORPORATION HAS ISSUED A NOTICE TO PRISON DEPT ASKING IT TO DEPOSIT 80% OF BOOK CAFE EARNINGS
The Himachal Pradesh prison department’s programme ‘Pahal’, which aims at rehabilitating prisoners, has hit a roadblock with the Shimla Municipal Corporation staking claim on the monthly income generated by a book cafe run by inmates.
The corporation has served a notice to the prison department asking it to deposit 80% of its earnings from the cafe. The MC had not charged the department any rental when the cafe was set up at the ridge two months ago.
“We have served a notice to the prison department, asking them to share 80% of the profit with us. The corporation is not charging any rent from the cafe. Had we auctioned it, we would have easily got a rent of ₹50,000 to ₹60,000 a month,” joint commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Prashant Sirkeck told HT. The newly opened book café on The Ridge in Shimla is an attraction not only for tourists but also for the locals as it has two life convicts, Jaichand and Yog Raj, as its chefs. Besides providing books and magazines, the cafe serves snacks baked by inmates of Shimla’s Kaithu jail.
The cafe is located at Taka Bench, a spot above The Ridge and on the way to the famous Jakhu temple. A popular hangout, Taka Bench earned its sobriquet during the British Raj when a person visiting the place was charged 1 taka (78 paisa).
The MC notice has put the cafe in a quandary. “We should look at the cafe as an innovative way to rehabilitate prisoners. It is not being run to earn money,” said Director General of Police (Prisons) Somesh Goyal . “Whatever little profit we make is used for the welfare of prisoners,” he added.
The cafe offers snacks and confectionery at 10% to 20% less than the market price, and earns about ₹1 lakh a month.