Prisoners sell meat to the public at the Salem Central Prison bazaar on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: E. LAKSHMI NARAYANAN

The prison bazaar at the Salem Central Prison has received good response to chicken sold at its outlet, generating employment for prisoners.

Fourteen prisons in Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts that fall under the Salem Central Prison jurisdiction have 1,638 inmates and each of them are served 150 gm of chicken meat on Wednesdays and Sundays. The prison administration used to buy 450 kg of chicken from the market every week. In a move to reduce the expense, the prison administration started a poultry farm in the prison on around 9,000 sq. ft. of land in December last year. From January, the prison administration is providing chicken that are reared in the poultry farm run on its premises to the prisoners.

Salem Central Prison Superintendent (in charge) G. Vinoth said that 900 birds were brought to the farm every week and they reached 2-2.5 kg in 36 days. The chickens were sent to 10 prisons in the Salem jurisdiction, except sub jails at Uthangarai, Krishnagiri, and Harur.

Four prisoners with good conduct were employed in the farm and each received monthly wages of ₹7,000. As more chicken were available, chicken meat was sold to the public every day through the prison bazaar at ₹10 to ₹15 a kg lesser price. Chicken was sold for ₹1,500 daily and on Sundays it touched ₹8,000 to ₹9,000, he said.

Stating that meat was sold from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the prison bazaar, the Superintendent said that machines to clean the chickens were provided and due to the poultry farm run by the prison, it saved ₹60,000 a month.