HYDERABAD: It was not a festival and no discounts were on offer for the clothes and decorative items on sale at the stalls near the Secretariat on Tuesday. But still, the rush to buy everything from sarees to furniture must be seen to be believed. One of those vying to buy the goods was KLN Giri, an employee at the Secretariat. “I purchased furniture, blankets and some other items for Rs 3,000. They are of good quality and the price too is reasonable,” he said.
The furniture and goods he was referring to were made by prisoners at the Cherlapalli, Chanchalguda (women) and the Warangal Central prison and they were put on sale at the Secretariat on the occasion of State Formation Day. About 24 products, including clothes, home decorative items, candles and furniture, branded under the name Sudhar were picked up like hot cakes.
“About Rs 2 lakh was the income for the day. The profit will be used for the welfare of the inmates of the AP prisons,” said B Sunil Kumar, Additional Inspector General. “We are planing to ask the government for permission to set up a permanent stall of the AP prisons department at the Secretarait as there’s a huge demand for these products here. They are reasonably priced and are of good quality,” he said.
The Secretariat employees felt the prices were at least 25 per cent lesser than the market price. “This is the reason why I have bought whatever I wanted to. I also encouraged some of my friends to buy the goods,” said one of them, PV Subba Rao.
“None could believe that these beautiful articles are made by prisoners! I bought furniture for Rs 2,500,” he added. Superintendent of Cherlapalli prison KC Srinivasa Rao said, “We are providing raw materials to make candles, incense sticks, soaps etc. Inmates are making good money by making these products and are sending the same to their families. If the inmates are given enough encouragement by the public and government, we will come up with more number of products.”
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