Berhampur Circle Jail. (Awakening)
Jagran correspondent, Angul. The sales of various products being prepared by the prisoners lodged in Berhampur Circle Jail of Odisha are set to double in the year 2025.
According to the jail administration, after getting the quality, fair price and certification of the products, people's confidence has increased continuously, which has had a direct impact on the sales.
With the aim of making the prisoners self-reliant, clothes, household items and food items are being produced in the jail. Bed sheets, towels, shirting cloth, jail dresses and scarves are being manufactured in the textile unit.
At the same time, water drums, rice trays, buckets, mugs, cleaning equipment and curb compost are being made in plastic and other units. Flour, gram flour, turmeric powder, ragi powder, chhatua and mustard oil are being prepared in the food unit.
According to jail officials, the income from the sale of these products was Rs 6.95 lakh in the year 2024, while in 2025 it increased to Rs 14.53 lakh. Of this, Rs 7.97 lakh was received from the sale of non-food items and Rs 6.56 lakh was received from the sale of food items. The total production value may have declined from Rs 47.39 lakh in 2024 to Rs 37.54 lakh in 2025, but a significant increase in sales and demand has been recorded in the open market.
Keeping in view the quality of textile products, bed-sheets, towels and jail dresses prepared from Berhampur Circle Jail are being supplied to 22 other jails of the state besides Ganjam district. This has not only increased production, but the skills of the prisoners are also continuously improving.
Earlier people used to hesitate in coming to the jail premises and buying goods, but now common people are easily buying made-in-jail products at the sales center established outside. Consumer confidence has further strengthened after food items received certification from FSSAI.
In view of the increasing demand, the jail administration is preparing to open a second sales outlet at a prominent place in the city. For this, Berhampur Municipal Corporation will be requested to provide space, so that more and more people can access these products.
The jail administration says that this initiative is proving important towards the reform and rehabilitation of prisoners. On the one hand, this is providing the prisoners the opportunity for vocational training and self-reliance, while on the other hand, the correctional activities of the jail are also getting financial strength.