Bread, chips from womens jail soon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Now, it is the turn of the Women’s Prison at Attakulanagara. A unit for making bread and banana chips will start functioning at the prison, once it gets sanction from the authorities. The market acceptance of the ‘chapatis’ made by the inmates of Central Prison, Poojappura,  had prompted prison authorities to enter into new initiatives.H Gopakumar, DIG, Prisons, said that the bread-making machine will be brought from Coimbatore. Bananas grown in Nettukaltheri Open Prison will be used for making chips. As many as 25,000 bunches of bananas would be used per day to make chips.The most noteworthy aspect is that inmates who would be assigned to work in the unit will be paid Rs 117 as daily wage, the same wage paid in Open Prison, Nettukaltheri. It is much higher than the standard wage in prisons, which ranges between Rs 21 and Rs 53.A soap-making unit which started functioning in the Women’s Prison a month ago manufactures soaps which could cater to the needs of the inmates. Soaps are made available through the prison’s canteen. A washing soap is charged Rs 12 and a toilet soap Rs 11.A sales counter opened on Thursday at the Women’s Prison for selling chapatis made in the Central Prison is also receiving a big response. On the first day, 1,000 Chapatis were sold and the number doubled on the second day.New Counter at Central PrisonA counter for the sales of prison-made ‘chapatis’ has been opened at the main entrance of Central Prison, Poojappura, following the big demand for the ‘chapatis.’ Earlier, the counter was functioning inside the prison. Response to the new counter was huge, as about 4,000 chapatis were sold out on the first day itself.H Gopakumar inaugurated the counter by giving chapatis to LBS College Principal P A Saheeda. Students of LBS College, Central Prison Superintendent B Pradeep and Jailor Asok Kumar, among others, participated in the function.