India's First Fuel Outlet Run By Women Convicts Launched In Chennai

In a first, a retail fuel outlet run and managed by women convicts who are still serving their prison sentences was inaugurated in Chennai on Friday by Tamil Nadu Minister for Law and Prisons S Regupathy.

It is located on Ambattur Road in Chennai at Puzhal, abutting the Special Prison for Women (SPW-Puzhal). Named Freedom Filling Station, it will go a long way in reforming and rehabilitating the convicts, the Tamil Nadu prison department said.

"For the first time in India, a petrol retail outlet will be fully managed by convicted women prisoners. About 30 female prisoners will be employed at this petrol retail outlet. The prisoners will get ₹ 6,000 each as monthly salary," an official release said.

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Director-General of Police (DGP)/ Director, Prisons and Correctional Services Amaraesh Pujari said the new initiative would provide female prisoners an opportunity to learn new skills and gain work experience, which can help them find employment after their release.

He added that the initiative would expose the prisoners to the outside world and help them interact with customers and society, which could improve their social skills and reduce their isolation.

The plan will encourage prison inmates to behave well and follow rules, as they have to meet "certain criteria and behavioural yardsticks" to be eligible for the job, he pointed out.

Five petrol retail outlets operated by prisoners had been functioning under the name of “Freedom Filling Station” on the premises of Central Prison, Puzhal, Vellore, Coimbatore, Palayamkottai and Borstal School Pudukkottai. The new outlet is the sixth one in the State which is being operated by women prisoners. Five more are soon to be commissioned in the State, reports The Hindu.

A. Murugesan, Deputy Inspector-General, Prisons said: “The total amount of sales, net profit earned, and wages paid to prisoners in all Freedom Petrol Retail outlets for the period up to March 31 this year was ₹847.31 crore, ₹23.94 crore and ₹2.37 crore respectively."

The prison department is also running a 'Prison Bazaar' as part of its rehabilitation initiative. Items made by prisoners, including shoes, raincoats, readymade garments, handicrafts, notebooks, compost manure, bakery products and vegetables cultivated by them are sold through the Prison Bazaar under the brand name Freedom.

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