The Central jail in Thiruvananthapuram has already made news by coming up with various innovative programmes for the inmates, be it cost effective food, running restaurants, petrol pump and beauty parlour and even venturing into organic farming. The central prison has now ventured into the making of footwear that is almost up for sale.
The prison situated in Pooojapura in Capital Kerala has ventured into foot wear making as part of its welfare measures for the inmates. Named freedom walk, the footwear will be sold at Rs 80 a pair. Director General of Prisons and Correctional services Rishi Raj Singh launched the sale of the slippers in the jail premises on November 14, 2020.
With online food business on the move, the jail authorities have tied up with Swiggy for the sale of its biryani.
This is not the first time footwear are coming out from jails. The Inmates of Yerwada and Puzhal jails in Mumbai and Chennai are known for its Kolapuri chappals. It was the idea of businessman Divej Mehta that had led the inmates to make chappals. Divej had submitted a proposal to the Maharashtra government in 2013 for making Chappals from the jail indoors. The production of the chappals started in Yerwada in 2018.