A fuel station exclusively run by convicts in front of the Special Prison for Women situated near the Gandhi Market in Tiruchi became operational on Wednesday.
The outlet has come up on a piece of land belonging to the Tamil Nadu Prisons Department. The State government issued an order last year sanctioning six petroleum outlets, including two in Tiruchi under phase-II. The public sector Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) set up the outlet in Tiruchi in collaboration with the Prisons Department near the Special Prison for Women.
S. Regupathy, Minister for Law and Prisons, declared open the outlet, which was named as Freedom Filling Station at a function held here on Wednesday. Maheshwar Dayal, Director General of Prisons, Collector M. Pradeep Kumar, Corporation Commissioner V. Saravanan and senior officials participated.
According to sources, the outlet will be operated by a team of convicts under the direct supervision of the women prison authorities. The convicts have been selected based on a number of parameters. The outlet is equipped with security features such as surveillance cameras. The convicts will be paid wages for the work. The move is aimed at engaging convicts serving long sentences for their reformation and rehabilitation.
