Petrol retail outlet managed by women prisoners opened near Chennai

CHENNAI: The Department of Prisons and Correctional Services has opened a petrol bunk fully managed by women convict prisoners near Puzhal prison on Thursday. This is the first time in the country such a petrol retail outlet is being operated by women prisoners.

The prison department is running five petrol bunks in the premises of Central Prison.I, Puzhal, Vellore, Coimbatore, Palayamkottai and Borstal school Pudukkottal with Indian Oil Corporation Limited. These petrol retail outlets are functioning well under the brand name of "Freedom Filling Station". The details of sales, net profit earned, and wages paid to prisoners in all Freedom Petrol Retail outlets for the period upto 31.3.2023 are Rs.847.31 Crores, Rs.23.94 Crores and Rs.2.37 Crores respectively. Further, the details of sales, net profit earned, and wages paid to prisoners in Puzhal Freedom Petrol Retail outlet for the period upto 31.3.2023 are

Rs.218.23 Crores, Rs.5.64 Crores and Rs.45.83 Lakh respectively.

The Government in May 2022 sanctioned setting up of six more petroleum retail outlets in the outer premises of Central Prisons viz, Central Prison(CP) Puzhal on Ambattur Road, CP. Coimbatore on Bharathiar Road, CP Trichy on Gandhi Market, CP Trichy on Airport Road, CP Madurai and CP Salem.

On Thursday, Minister for Law, Courts and Prisons and Correctional Services, S. Regupathy inaugurated "Freedom Filling Station" on Ambattur Road, Puzhal, near Special Prison for Women, Puzhal operated by woman prisoners.

About 30 female prisoners will be employed in this petrol retail outlet. The prisoners will get Rs 6000 each towards monthly salary.

The event was attended by S.Sudarsanam, M.L.A. Madavaram, Amaraesh Pujari, I.P.S., Director General Prisons and Correctional Services, V.C.Asokan, Executive Director & State Head Tamilnadu & Pondicherry IOCL and other prison officials.

It may be noted that the department has been implementing various schemes for reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners such as education, skill development, vocational training etc., In this regards, permission was accorded by the Government for establishment of "PRISON BAZAAR" in the campus of all prisons and the articles made by the prisoners such as leather shoes, leather belt, rain coat, male/female readymade garments, handcrafts, note books, nursery products, compost manure, vegetables, cold press oils, bakery items, paintings, etc., are sold through the Prison Bazaar under the brand name of "FREEDOM". Prisoners earn daily wages and a share of profit through these activities.