Telangana State Prisons Department installs 'My Nation' stall, selling products made by inmates

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 22 : Telangana Prisons Department is selling products made by prisoners, which consist of all home needs, through an outlet named 'My Nation' at Numaish, All India Industrial Exhibition.
The outlet will sell articles such as steel almirahs, stools, bed sheets, towels, doormats, phenyl, acid, bakery items and kids woollen garments. This outlet comes as a major boost to all the inmates as the learned skill helps them to lead a decent living once released from prison.
Speaking to ANI, Mahender, a warden from the Cherlapally jail said, "We participate in Numaish every year, exhibit the products made by the prisoners in Telangana jails. We have a lot of demand for our products in this exhibition. We also get orders from the government. The reason why we get many orders is that we maintain the best quality in the market."
Mahender further said that they have permanent customers who come every year to buy the products made by the jail department.
"We make prisoners learn the skill with the help of instructors so that when they go out of the prison, they will be skilled. They are also paid when an item is sold," he said.
He added that the department has around 10 stalls across Telangana.
Ellaiah, who is a Cherlapally jail prisoner said, "I am in the open jail for about 4 years now and working here. In the jail, I weave cloths and make furniture items. The money I get from creating items, I use it for my personal purposes."
Vittal, a customer from Musheerabad says that the products made here are handmade and the material used is of good quality.
"They weave the products with their own hands and that is why we come here every year to buy products," Vittal said.
He added that when these products are bought, it indirectly helps the prisoners.