Prison inmates to sell handmade food items

SAMBALPUR: To increase productivity and income, a food processing unit has been installed at the premises of the Sambalpur Circle Jail. A wide range of food items such as flour, gram flour and turmeric powder, are available for sale to the general public at a counter of the jail. 

“Grinding machines have been installed to provide an earning opportunity to the inmates who will work under direct supervision of the jail staff,” said Superintendent of Sambalpur Circle Jail, Biren Sahoo. 
The machines were procured from welfare fund of the jail and raw materials are being sourced from different markets. While wheat and gram chickpea is being purchased from the local wholesale market, raw turmeric is being obtained from Kandhamal. 

Sahoo further said the income generated from the sale of the food products will be deposited in the welfare fund used for the benefit of the inmates and other developmental works. Currently, flour is being sold in 1 kg packets, gram flour is being sold in half kg packets and turmeric powder is being sold in 200 gram packets. Alongside, the prisoners also produce handwoven towels, bed-sheets, handkerchiefs and shirting which is sold at a stall in the jail. 

Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, had also accorded the ‘Handloom Mark’ to the fabrics produced by the inmates of the jail in October 2019.The Sambalpur Circle Jail, set up in 1892, is overcrowded with 656 inmates including convicts and under-trial prisoners (UTP) against its capacity of 541.