Jail inmates to run eight petrol pumps in Andhra

 Buoyed by the success of a petrol pump run by reformed jail inmates, the Andhra Pradesh government has now decided to set up eight more such filling stations in different parts of the state.

Located in the premises of Kadappa Central Jail in the south-central part of Andhra Pradesh, it is the only petrol station in the state which is run by prison inmates.

The monthly turnover amounts to nearly Rs 1.8 crore which is the highest sale in comparison to all the petrol stations in the district, said Sunil Kumar, Additional Inspector General of Prisons of the Andhra Pradesh Prisons Department.

“We had a turnover of Rs 6.18 lakh... Though this petrol station is four months old only, it has the highest sale in comparison to all the 48 petrol stations in Kadappa district. Since the turnover is huge it has been decided upon to set up similar petrol stations in the remaining eight central jails across the state,” Kumar said.

The petrol stations are likely to be set up in districts including Hyderabad, Cherlapalli (R R District), Warangal, Rajahmundry, Adavivaram (Visakhapatnam District), Nellore among others.

Kumar said it took them two years to convince the Indian Oil Corporation to allow them establish a petrol pump in the jail premises. The Kadappa Petrol Pump is run by 21 inmates who have shown good conduct over a period of time and eligible for the semi-open jail facility.

Inmates to earn Rs70

These inmates work on shift basis and earn Rs 70 per day. The petrol pump was started as a part of the jail rehabilitation programme. Once they learn work here, they will be able to work in other petrol stations when released, he said.

The success story of the petrol station has encouraged other states to replicate the same in their jails too, the senior police official said.

“Gujarat jail authorities have asked us to share details as to how to establish a similar facility in their jails too,” Kumar said.