Petrol pumps planned outside state jails

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MUMBAI: The state prison department, which provides employment to its inmates, is conducting a survey to check the feasibility of setting up petrol pumps outside the prisons. Mumbai has been excluded due to lack of space.

According to the proposal, the petrol pumps will be operated by inmates under the supervision of prison staff and the funds generated will be used for the prison welfare fund.

Maharashtra prison department comprises nine central prisons, 31 district prisons, 13 open prisons, one open colony and 172 sub-jails. According to the proposal, a survey is being conducted outside most of these prisons.

Additional director general (ADG), prison department, BK

was at a preliminary stage and the survey of land has started across the state. This concept is similar to that of petrol pumps that are run by the police department and the income from there goes to the police welfare department. We are working on the same pattern.”

Several petrol pumps are being run by the police department for some time now. The fuel for police vehicles, including cars, jeeps, The jail industry has a turnover of around Rs9 crore

Products made in jails include handlooms, furniture, baked items, footwear, paper files

In the 27 prisons of the state, 341.44 hectare of land is used

come from these petrol pumps.

A senior prison officer said that the government will tie-up with a firm, which into this business, and will seek its help to set up infrastructure.

Deputy inspector general of the prison department Rajendra Dhamne said, “The survey has started a few months ago and, in north Maharashtra, we have finalised four sports outside prisons at Nashik, Aurangabad,

able around these jails to start new petrol pumps.”

In a few months, the construction work will start and it will be completed in six months, said Dhamne. “This initiative will help inmates will get jobs and can earn monthly income as per prison rules,” he added.

“The requirement of land for petrol pump is around 4,000 square feet by 4,000 square feet,” said a prison officer, who did not