The department of prisons in Kerala tasted success as they made Rs 1.75 lakh in just two days by organizing an exhibition-cum-sale of products by prison inmates.

It was Telangana who set the example and seeing their good results, Kerala also decided to emulate the initiative which met with a grand success. Director-general of police (prisons) R Sreelekha mooted the idea to emulate it.

The exhibition was held at the Sree Chitra Art Gallery on Museum premises and after the favourable outcome, the prison department is thinking of holding more such fairs.

Products from five prisons in the district—Central Jail, Women's Open Jail and Special Sub-Jail at Poojapura, Men's Open Jail at Nettukaltheri and Women's Prison at Attakulangara—were put on sale.

The highest revenue was generated by the central prison. It collected  Rs 92,410 by the sale of wooden furniture, bed sheets, pillows and towels, which collected Rs 39,930. The designer wear under the label Free Fashionista raked in Rs 49,020. The cafeteria also made big business by providing jail chapati and chicken curry, along with other dishes which brought in revenue of over Rs 3,000.

The women's prison raised Rs 46,936 by selling a wide variety of pickles and handicraft items. The open jails at Nettukaltheri and Poojapura sold agricultural products and did a combined business of Rs 30,210.

DIG (prisons) B Pradeep said the success of the event proved that people were willing to buy jail products provided outlets were set up outside the prison campus. The revenue generated from the sales would go to the state exchequer.