Work to reform prisoners earns crores for jails

The Yerawada Central Prison made the highest contribution to the manufacturing sections,and the Paithan jail recorded the highest income from agriculture-related activities.

The prisons department,currently in news over actor Sanjay Dutt’s incarceration—when the actor had been imprisoned for the first time after his arrest in the case,he is believed to have taken up carpentry—had made an income of Rs 11 crore from enterprises like carpentry,handloom,chemical,metal and leather works between January 2012 and December 2012,figures published recently reveal.

The jails have 342 hectare of land under agricultural and crops like wheat,rice,millets,soya bean,sugarcane and fruits are cultivated.

Of the Rs 11 crore,about Rs 2 crore came from agriculture. The Rs 9 crore had come from nine central prisons,said an officer with the prisons department.

There are 21,200 male and 1,500 female inmates in jails of the state at present.

The official said that many enterprises run for inmates were revived after additional director general Meeran Borwankar took over as head of the prisons department.

Yogesh Desai,superintendent of Yerawada Central Prison,said,“The logic behind these enterprises is completely different from what they mean outside the jail. The purpose is to provide a platform for change. We have very skilled workers in carpentry,handloom,leather and metal works. It is a great this these activities are making profits,too.”