In a bid to give a boost to the prison industry of the Maharashtra Prison Department, the state government has given approval for the purchase of machinery and equipment worth Rs 22.05 lakh. The machinery for weaving, carpentry, paperwork, ironwork, leatherwork, sewing and cooking work would be purchased for five prisons across the state. The state government has also given administrative approval for the procurement of equipment worth Rs 17.16 lakh for the modernization of agriculture in ten prisons in the state.
According to government sources, at Yerwada Central Prison equipment is worth Rs 9.84 lakh, at Yerwada Open District Prison equipment is worth Rs 1.59 lakh, at Kolhapur Central Prison equipment is worth Rs 42,000, at Nashik Road Central Prison equipment worth Rs 5.49 lakh and at Aurangabad Central Prison equipment worth Rs 4.70 lakh would be procured. The said purchases would be made as per the procedures laid down by the Industries, Energy and Labour departments.
This month, on the occasion of the Makar Sankranti festival, the exhibition and sale of the goods made by the jail inmates were inaugurated by Additional Director General of Police (State Prisons and Correctional Services), Amitabh Gupta at Yerwada Central Jail Industry Sales Centre. Mr Gupta said that the goods manufactured by the jail will soon be made available for purchase by citizens on the e-marketplace. He also said that the facilities required to be provided to the inmates as per the law will be made available by the prison department.
Procurement of equipment worth Rs 17.16 lakh for modernization of agriculture in ten prisons in the state, including Paithan Open Prison, Nashik Road Open Prison, Nagpur Open Prison, Morshi Open Prison, Buldhana District Prison, Yerwada Central Prison, Yerwada Open Prison, Visapur Open Prison, Kolhapur Open Prison and Ratnagiri Open Prison. "It has to be ensured that the purchase price of the purchased equipment shall not be more than the market price and that the quality of the equipment remains high," said a state government official.
