MLA & Advisor, Prisons and Printing & Stationery, Kropol Vitsu and DGP Rupin Sharma with others at the Ummeed Prison Welfare Service Station, which was inaugurated in Dimapur on January 28. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 28
As part of a rehabilitation and social reintegration programme for prison inmates, the Nagaland Prisons Department has opened a fuel retail outlet in Dimapur, in collaboration with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
The fuel outlet – M/S Ummeed Prison Welfare Service Station, situated adjacent to the District Jail at Oriental colony – was inaugurated on January 28 by MLA & Advisor, Prisons and Printing & Stationery, Kropol Vitsu. DGP, Nagaland, Rupin Sharma, under whose tenure as DG Prisons the programme was conceptualised, was present as well.
Said to be a first, not only in Nagaland but in the North-East, the collaboration seeks to employ prison inmates, and those who have completed serving time, at the fuel outlet.
Advisor Vitsu, in his address, said that the project, as envisioned, goes beyond profit. He said that it will support the welfare and rehabilitation of inmates as the revenue from the outlets will go towards providing wages to the inmates, who are employed at the outlet. Citing the 1998 ruling of the Supreme Court, he said that prisoners have the right to be paid for their labour.
While he stressed the importance of ensuring the longevity of the project, he said that the project aligns with the Viksit Bharat (Developed India) vision.
Inspector General of Prisons, Imtiangshi Ao, said that despite facing several challenges, including land issues and construction delays, the project was successfully completed. The outlet will operate as a separate commercial unit with no government funding. A society or oversight committee is in the process of being established, he added.
According to him, efforts to implement the project by the Prisons Department began in 2021, subsequently getting approval from the State government. It was followed with the IOC agreeing to two retail dealerships in 2022, and land leasing agreements finalised the same year.
He informed that the outlet, which is already operational, has received positive consumer feedback, and sales reaching 12,900 liters of petrol and 5,000 liters of diesel in the first month.
Meanwhile, DGP Rupin Sharma informed that the other project at the Central Jail, 4th Mile – the foundation stone for which was laid in January 2023 – is delayed owing to a land dispute. He nevertheless expressed hope that the success of the District Jail's petrol pump would inspire the village surrounding the Central Jail to allow the project to proceed.
To make the District Jail fuel outlet more attractive to customers, he suggested extending operating hours and offering discounts. He also quipped that government departments should consider sourcing fuel from the station.
Further expanding the project idea, he tossed the prospect of creating a display emporium where products made by prisoners could be sold.
