Woman jail inmates join poll process, with candles

HYDERABAD: There might be connoisseurs of politics at Chanchalguda women’s jail, but hardly ever do they get to participate in the dance of democracy. For they can’t vote.
But this time around they are in their own way participating in the process of electing a government. These jail inmates are making thousands of candles which will be used to burn the lac to seal confidential papers and polling material.
The department of printing and stationery has placed orders for 2.28 lakh candles.Work is going on in full swing, says DIG (prisons) A R Ahmed.The prisoners know they have a deadline to keep and they are working hard.
“The red lac used to seal polling material in booths needs to be burnt first before it’s affixed. The candle comes handy in this,� the DIG says.
The prison has about 197 inmates, 86 of them convicts. Last year, the number of inmates stood at 105 and all of them were involved in chalk-making. This was part of the self-empowerment programme the prison runs.
The chalks were sold to 10 city schools at Rs 10 per pack of 95 chalks. This was against the market rate of Rs 15 for a pack of 90. The prison has a toothpaste manufacturing, tailoring and knitting unit as well. The toothpaste made here is supplied to inmates of other state prisons.
The candle-making unit came up in December last year and the government issued orders on March 13 for the candles, jail superintendent R Sharada said.
About 30 life convicts, including 20 skilled and 10 semi-skilled hands, were deployed for the work. The skilled get paid a daily wage of Rs 15 and semi-skilled Rs 10. Now, with the March 25 deadline drawing near, the work pressure is a lot more. The inmates are putting in longer hours at the workshop. So, their daily wages have been doubled.