Cons make money for tihar

Turnover from sale of products prepared by inmates doubled in 2010 when compared to the previous year

They may have bent the law and looted innocents of hard-earned money in the past but now convicts at Delhi's Tihar Jail are paying back in full. Sale of products prepared by inmates raked in a whopping 11 crore rupees last year, almost double the turnover in 2009. Authorities are naturally thrilled.


Hot stuff: Inmates work in the bakery section of Tihar Jail in New Delhi,
Asia's largest prison. Pic/AFP


"It's a big breakthrough for us. We have earned more than double when compared to the previous year. New systems and stalls have made such things possible. The most successful sections are shoe-making, carpentry and bakery. Delhi government has allowed a lot of stalls of Tihar-made products at schools and other places," said SK Gupta, PRO, Tihar Jail.

Authorities confirmed that prisoners with varied profiles and coming from areas are contributing towards the progress of the factories with their working skills. Inmates are turning into skilled workers.

"Government schools are one of the biggest buyers from the wood works section. Desks and chairs are being supplied there by us on a major scale. Files and folders are also in heavy demand. Almost all of the district courts in Delhi have a Tihar outlet of bakery products and other edibles," Gupta added. The workshops are more now disciplined and are becoming more professional with time.

The newly implemented process is the shift system at some workshops. Especially in the bakery section the prisoners have started working in two shifts and all such decisions have been taken by the prisoners only. And as a result the section made tremendous revenue and it's indeed the most in demand.