Central prisons in Kerala to start producing Khadi fabrics by April end

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 10 (KNN) The central prisons in Kerala are all set to start producing Khadi fabrics by April end, reported The New Indian Express.

The state prisons department has earlier signed an agreement with the Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Board to produce khadi fabric in prisons that will be purchased by the board and sold through its outlets.

Under the agreement, the board will provide yarns to the prisons. The trained prisoners will prepare fabric out of the yarn and that will be bought back by the board.

Prisons Director General Balram Kumar Upadhyay said, “The initiative is part of the efforts to provide skill training to the inmates and make them earn a decent wage while serving a prison term.”

“We want to provide them the same remuneration that we give to our spinners and weavers,” said a senior Khadi Board official.

The official pointed out that combining the basic remuneration plus the perks given by the state government, the spinners and weavers of Khadi Board earn around Rs 10,000.

“We are checking whether there are any legal issues in the inmates getting the extra perks from the government apart from their basic remuneration. If there is none, then they will get the same amount that our weavers and spinners are getting,” the official added.

“We have handlooms and powerlooms in central prisons. If there is demand, we can manufacture bed sheets, pillows and garments in commercial quantities,” he added.

Khadi Board is also planning to provide fabric and get ready-made shirts prepared by the prison inmates in the later stage of the project.  (KNN Bureau)