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Now, prisoners in Kerala gear up to run fuel stations

Agencies
September 18, 2019

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 18: After their success in dishing out delicious and cost-effective food items, prisoners in Kerala are now gearing up to manage fuel stations, thanks to an innovative government initiative.

Drawing inspiration from their counterparts in Tamil Nadu and Punjab, the Prison Department is all set to open petrol pumps in the outer campuses of three central jails in the state, envisaged to be run by selected inmates.

The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is setting up the pumps in the land, identified by the prison department.

At least 15 convicted prisoners would be identified and given training to run each fuel station on a shift basis and they will be given wages for their work as per jail rules, authorities said.

A top prison official said the plan is to open the fuel stations by November-December this year.

"All necessary government clearances have been received for the initiative. The pumps will come up on the campuses of the central prisons in Poojappura here, Viyyur in Thrissur district and in Kannur," Prison DGP, Rishiraj Singh told PTI.

"The IOC will begin the construction works soon and the work is expected to be completed in the next one month.

We hope that the pumps can be opened by November-December", he said.

Singh said many states like Tamil Nadu already have petrol pumps under the Prisons department.

"They are making handsome revenue by running petrol pumps. Besides generating revenue, the project will also help prisoners engage in constructive activities," he said.

The DGP said the employees who would manage the petrol stations would be handpicked from among the convicted prisoners.

"Not just this project, but inmates are part of all our major initiatives like online food or in the running of prison cafeteria. Those who have knowledge in manning petrol pumps will be given preference. All those selected will be given training," he said.

Based on the nature of the work, the inmates are given wages of up to Rs 160-180a day in the state prisons and those deployed at the fuel stations would also be given remuneration as per the standards, he said.

Seeking to tap the hugely popular online food market, the Kerala Prison Department had recently begun offering biriyani prepared by inmates.

For this, they have tied up with Swiggy, the online food delivery player.

The Freedom Food Factory, an enterprise selling food, mainly chappathi and chicken curry combo, prepared by inmates at Kerala prisons, has been engaged in the business since 2011.

Comments

I think you are a Bhakth. Think about our PM, Home minister, entire ministry.All are criminals and thieves. One of the biggest thief (ambani) running fuel station.

 

If they are going to start then there will be suffiecient safety measures.

There is jail chapathi and biriyani. Did anybody die after eating foods prpared by prisoners??? There are safety measures

 

Anti-Mallu
 - 
Wednesday, 18 Sep 2019

Good. Let some thieves steal petrol, and some other steal spare parts of the vehicles that come to fill fuel. 

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News Network
July 10,2020

Mysuru, Jul 9: The renowned Mysore Palace has been closed on Thursday after a relative of an employee at the palace was tested COVID-19 positive, an official said.

The palace has been closed for the visitors in the view of rising COVID-19 cases. Authorities have decided to re-open the palace on Monday.

Earlier the Palace was closed for tourists for a week from March 15 to 22, in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Mysore Palace committee said.

According to the Union Health Ministry, Karnataka has reported 28,877 COVID-19 positive cases including 16,531 active, 11,876 cured/discharged/migrated while 470 succumbed to the virus.

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News Network
April 16,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 16: The Karnataka government on Wednesday identified 14 departments as essential and asked all its employees to attend work during the extended period of lockdown to check coronavirus spread in the state.

According to a circular issued by Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar, all classes of officials/employees in these departments must attend to their work.

The departments are: Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, Home, Revenue, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Urban Development, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Information and Public Relations, Transport, Energy, Personnel and Administrative Reforms (e-Governance), Finance (including treasuries), Animal Husbandry and Fisheries and Forest, Ecology and Environment.

In all other departments, only Group-A officers have been directed to report for duty.

However, those visually-impaired or physically-

handicapped are exempt from work, the circular said, adding that this norms will be valid till April 19.

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News Network
May 8,2020

Bengaluru, May 8: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said his government is clear in its stand on extending every possible help to the farmers. The Chief Minister spoke to the farmer-leaders of the state, who wanted their concerns to be heard and addressed, with regard to the problems the agrarian community has been facing in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown.

"We will soon make our position clear on supporting the farmers. We will not allow any hindrance to come in the way of agriculture activities," Yediyurappa told the farmer- leaders.

The Chief Minister told the delegation that the pre-monsoon activities are in full swing in the state.

The government has also set up help centres and been providing agriculture equipment on rent, the Chief Minister said. In most of the places, at least 80 per cent of the standing crops have been harvested.

Arrangements have been made to bring equipment from neighbouring states to harvest the standing crop, he said.

Yediyurappa said fertilisers and seeds are available in abundance in the state.

He informed the farmer-leaders about the arrangements made to transport flowers, vegetables and fruits to other states.

Similarly, the market has been developed for the farmers to sell their products, said the Chief Minister.

He said the government is working out a compensation for farmers who lost their crops due to hailstorm in Raichur, Koppal and Ballari. Agriculture Minister B C Patil, Horticulture Minister Narayana Gowda, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar and Development Commissioner Vandita Sharma were also present in the meeting.

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