Bhopal: In order to meet its mounting expenses, jail department is mulling over setting up of petrol pumps on prison premises in major cities of the state. The department has sent a proposal to the government for approval. Besides financial, there is also a welfare aspect behind taking the decision, as the fuel stations will be operated by children of department personnel and people who have completed their jail term will be employed there.
The jail department has contacted many oil companies, they will provide the technical support and the department will run the fuel stations. The department will act alike a dealer. The jails were constructed far away from city at uninhabited areas, however, with increasing urbanisation and infrastructure, these structure now have become a part of the city. Most of these jail premises have ample land, but are lying unused and this has prompted the authorities to use it for commercial purpose.
DG Jail Sanjya Choudhary said they were planning to set up petrol pump on jail premises in cities like Bhopal, Jabalpur, Indore, Gwalior, Sagar Satna and many other places. In the mid-size cities there are no places to set up petrol pump and since jail department has ample vacant land we are planning to use it skilfully. The profit generated from the pump will go into department welfare fund, Choudhary said. Setting up petrol pump on jail premises is a part of departments welfare scheme, as children of the department personnel will operate the stations and the prisoners who have completed their jail term will also be employed there, informed the DG.
The proposal has been sent to government and the work in this direction will commence once we receive the approval, said the officer. He informed that Telangana has already started the scheme in the state and they have received encouraging results. Meanwhile, police department is already running a petrol pump in Bhopal and very shortly they are going to open it other cities also, now both
the department will be business competitor in short time.
