Hyderabad: Director General of Police (DGP) Jitender on Saturday inaugurated the Prisoners Agriculture Colony and farming training premises at Cherlapally, an initiative aimed at promoting agricultural awareness among youth and creating livelihood opportunities for inmates.
Speaking at the event, the DGP said the project would serve as an inspiration for the younger generation, especially students and children, to understand the importance of farming and food security. He said that hands-on exposure to agriculture would help them value cultivation and appreciate the role it plays in everyday life.
Director general of prisons Soumya Mishra said the Public–Private Partnership project had been carefully designed to combine rehabilitation, education and community participation. The premises include facilities such as a yoga centre, adventure zone, mini golf court and farm-to-plate activities, along with farming awareness programmes. “The idea is to introduce visitors, particularly students, to agricultural practices and the vital role of farming in our lives,” she said.
Soumya Mishra added that the initiative encourages sustainability, respect for nature and pride in the country’s agricultural heritage. “Through this project, we are not only reforming inmates but also helping reconnect society with agriculture,” she said. She explained that the prisons department aims to go beyond conventional correctional roles by promoting constructive, people-oriented projects. The initiative will also provide employment and training to released prisoners and inmates of open-air prisons.
More than 30 inmates from open-air jails will take part in the project, earning wages that will help support their families while gaining skills in agriculture and allied activities that can assist them in rebuilding their lives after release.
