Training in farm practices: Govt sows seeds of change in UP jails
Around 30 inmates each in nine prisons would learn development of crop seeds, while five each in 12 jails would be trained in vermicomposting. Authorities are hopeful the skills they pick up could prove handy for them after their release.
For now, inmates with an agricultural background and serving short-term sentences will be selected for the training.(Representational)
Soon nine prisons across Uttar Pradesh could see inmates receive training in developing crop seeds, even as prisoners in 12 other jails learn vermicomposting, as part of an initiative of the Prison Department, Seed Development Corporation and Agriculture Department.
Besides providing inmates an extra source of income inside the prison, authorities are hopeful the skills they pick up could prove handy for them after their release. For now, inmates with an agricultural background and serving short-term sentences will be selected for the training.
Around 30 inmates each in nine prisons would learn development of crop seeds, while five each in 12 jails would be trained in vermicomposting. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard was signed on September 6 between the Managing Director (MD) of the Uttar Pradesh Seed Development Corporation, Director of the Agriculture Department, and Additional Director General (ADG), Prisons.
Officials estimate around Rs 35,000 can be earned per hectare in seed production, after removing the investment cost.
“In August, I was sitting with Principal Secretary (Agriculture) Amit Mohan Prasad, who is also my classmate, and I casually said your department has a lot of funds, why don’t you do something to help prison inmates? Then we came up with this idea. This can help interested inmates learn scientific methods of seed development and making vermicompost,” said ADG (Prisons) Chandra Prakash. “The main motive is to make positive and constructive use of the time of inmates, develop their skills, and give them a way to make an earning when they are released.”
Seed Development Corporation MD Santosh Khare said for seed development training, they had selected nine prisons which had land where inmates could grow crops. “Similarly, the 12 prisons selected for vermicompost training have cattle and sell dairy products.”
“The training for seed development is not that rigorous and just one day is enough to teach someone. However, apart from the one-day training by the district agriculture officer or the district deputy agriculture director, seed development officials and the Seed Certification Department would hold inspections to check the development of seeds. The same would be the case with vermicomposting,” Khare said.
“Prisons would have to purchase the fertilisers and pesticides themselves, but the foundation seeds would be provided by us on credit. After the certified seeds (the final produce, to be used by farmers as seeds) are ready, we will do two quality tests and buy at the current market rate. We would also take the seed leftovers and sell them. Later we will deduct the credit amount and pay the prisons accordingly. That amount would be distributed to inmates who produced the seeds. The vermicompost would be sold by the prison itself,” the MD added.
About how they would choose the inmates, ADG Prakash said, “We wanted that when the crop was purchased by the Seed Department, the inmates get a significant amount of money. So, keeping in mind the availability of land, we will give only around 30 inmates the responsibility and training to produce seeds. These inmates would be decided on a voluntary basis… As not too much work is involved in producing vermicompost, just around five inmates would be involved in the production of same. The earnings would be distributed equally among the inmates involved.”
Welcoming the initiative, former Uttar Pradesh DGP Sulkhan Singh, who is conducting a study of prisons in other states on behalf of the UP government, said, “Generally the payment for jobs inside prisons is decided by the state government and is not much. Initiatives like this can help the mental and physical health of inmates. During agricultural work, they would be in the open, in the fields, and get fresh air. This will help break the depressive monotony of prison.”
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