Uttarakhand: Every jail in the state will develop a “one jail-one product” initiative; CM Dhami gave instructions to officials during the Jail Development Board meeting

The Uttarakhand government had launched the ‘One District One Product’ scheme to promote local products, aiming to provide them with recognition and a wider market. Following this, the Uttarakhand government has decided to develop a ‘One Jail-One Product’ scheme in all the state’s prisons. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a review meeting of the Jail Development Board at the Secretariat on Thursday. During the meeting, CM Dhami stated that the products manufactured in the jails should be utilized by government departments.

During the meeting, the CM directed the development of a ‘One Jail-One Product’ scheme in the prisons and instructed that regular programs be organized for the skill development of inmates. He also directed that training in various trades be provided in the jails through ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes). Furthermore, he instructed the development of a separate state-specific model for the development of prisons. The CM directed that the products made in the jails be used in government offices. He also instructed officials to periodically inspect the food arrangements in the prisons.

It was decided in the meeting that laundry machines would be installed in the Central Jail Sitarganj, District Jails Almora, Pauri, Tehri, and Sub-Jails Haldwani and Roorkee. This decision was based on the positive results observed after the installation of laundry machines in the District Jails of Dehradun and Haridwar. The Chief Minister directed that adequate medical facilities be ensured in the prisons. The meeting also approved the establishment of a cold-pressed mustard oil plant at the Sitarganj Open Jail. Mushroom farming was also approved for the Sitarganj and Haridwar jails.

During the meeting, officials informed that the establishment of bakery units in the District Jails of Haridwar and Almora, Central Jail Sitarganj, and Sub-Jail Haldwani has generated an income of approximately Rs. 12 lakh. The establishment of a cowshed at the Sitarganj Open Jail has also generated an income of Rs. 10 lakh.