Baked Goods Made By Prisoners To Be Served During R-Day Parade In Bengaluru

Bakery products prepared by inmates of Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Central Prison will be served as snacks at the Republic Day celebrations at the Manekshaw Parade Ground in Karnataka on Monday.

The initiative, launched by the Karnataka Prisons and Correctional Services Department under the Nav Sankalpa programme, aims to equip convicted prisoners with employable skills and offer them hope for a better life after their release.

From Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and cabinet ministers to officials and members of the public attending the event, all will be served snacks made by convicted prisoners as part of the department's rehabilitation and skill development efforts.

The Parappana Agrahara prison currently houses 1,200 convicted inmates. As part of the project, 20 convicted prisoners underwent one month of intensive training in bakery work. The department plans to train more inmates in the coming months.

The inmates are currently producing a range of bakery items, including different varieties of biscuits, cupcakes, and mixtures.

Speaking to NDTV, Karnataka Prisons and Correctional Services Department Director General of Police Alok Kumar said the department's focus is on making the initiative competitive and sustainable. He said efforts are underway to explore avenues to make these products available to the general public.

"The department is exploring all possible venues to ensure these products reach the public," DGP Alok Kumar said.

The programme is supported through a CSR partnership with HCLTech (formerly Hindustan Computers Limited), a global IT services and consulting company headquartered in Noida.

"Plans are in place to tie up with BigBasket for direct sales; HCLTech has assured support to sell the products on its My E-Haat platform. This activity is for convicted prisoners and not for undertrials. We want to ensure it helps in meaningful skill development and make it competitive in terms of quality," DGP Alok Kumar added.

The bakery training was conducted by professional trainers from Hyderabad over a one-month period. While skill development activities have existed in prisons earlier, they were not structured with a market-oriented approach until now.

The Karnataka Prison Department is expected to sign a formal Memorandum of Understanding with HCLTech on February 4.

Parappana Agrahara Prison has frequently been in the news for controversies, including allegations of corruption, security lapses, and preferential treatment for high-profile inmates. Past scandals have involved illegal access to mobile phones and reports of inmates smoking and partying inside the prison.

In addition to bakery training, the department plans to skill inmates in other areas such as textiles, stitching, and allied trades.