The skills of about 600-700 inmates of Birsa Munda Central Jail, Hotwar involved in Jharkhand State Prison Welfare Programme largely go unnoticed due to lack of proper sales centres. The present sales centre for this programme named ‘Mukti’ is attached to the jail making it almost difficult for the public to regularly go and purchase items. Hotwar is about 15 kms away from Ranchi.
“A permanent sale centre within Ranchi is required as the demand of items made by our prisoners is quite appreciable on behalf of the public in fairs organised by state government, Jharkhand IAS Officers Wives Association and IPS Officers Wives Association,” a staff of this centre said.
Presently, items like mattress from waste cotton dress materials, towels, soaps, room carpets, woolen shawls, registers, silk fabrics, files and paintings are made by the prisoners of this jail comprising both men and women. The sale of these items at a very low cost is the main reason of this increasing popularity.
The staff added, “It often happens that a person purchases soap or woolen shawl from our stall displayed in such fairs. But, fails to get in touch with us regularly as coming Hotwar is a long distance affair. Hopefully, the concerned government authorities look up this matter of establishing a city centre so that the prisoner’s work can be popularized.”
Presently, this welfare programme is known to a hit at Birsa Munda Central Jail because of large manpower and big factory production availability. “Similar programme is being carried out in Hazaribagh, Dumka and Jamshedpur central jails but has not much publicized due to space and manpower crunch,” the staff said.
He also informed that the demand for products was increasing from various government departments as well. He said, “We supply our products to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences along with HRD department on order basis. Recently, we have supplied the education department around 12 to 15 lakhs detergent and bathing soaps sold at a price of Rs 5 and 10 respectively for ‘Hand Washing Programme.”
The amount generated through this sale is entirely distributed among the prisoners who prepare the items. “Infact, prisoners religiously working in this programme are given a relaxation of 60 days in their punishment,” the staff said.
Notably, this centre was started at Hotwar around four years back. As per Jail sources, Constable Surendra Biswakarma and few old prisoners who are still in the jail guide other prisoners in learning a new skill that serves as a welfare purpose.
A stall of the centre was set up at Vikas Mela on the occasion of 14th Foundation Day of the State at Morhabadi grounds in Ranchi on Friday.