Bengaluru, Oct 14 Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday directed officials to explore ways to scale up the production of goods manufactured by inmates in state prisons and market them with attractive packaging.
Chairing the fifth meeting of the Karnataka Prison Development Board here, Priyank, who is also the board’s chairman, stressed the need to identify suitable markets for prison-made products, boost sales and formulate programmes to make the board financially self-reliant.
He said it was important to strengthen initiatives aimed at developing inmates’ skills and supporting their rehabilitation while ensuring a stable market for the products they manufacture.
Measures should be taken to increase demand by improving product quality, adopting attractive packaging and establishing an effective marketing network, he said, according to a release from his office.
The meeting discussed the implementation of art therapy programmes in prisons, collaboration with non-governmental organisations to support inmates’ psychological well-being and rehabilitation, the establishment of de-addiction centres, and measures to strengthen the marketing of prison-made goods.
It reviewed prison infrastructure development, the provision of modern vocational training to enhance inmates’ skills, and the expansion of production and marketing activities across prisons.
The minister directed officials to prepare plans to increase the board’s revenue and enable it to function independently while promoting inmates’ rehabilitation, skill development and productive engagement.
During the meeting, Priyank expressed strong displeasure over the absence of senior officials from several departments despite instructions to attend. Department heads from Health, Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, Horticulture and Industries, among others, had deputed junior officials to attend in their place.
Emphasising the importance of the meeting, he said department heads must take their responsibilities seriously, attend such meetings in person and make necessary decisions. He subsequently asked the junior officials who had attended in place of their superiors to leave the meeting, the release said.
(PTI News)
