North News
Chandigarh/Nabha (Patiala), November 25
Punjab’s Jail Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar inaugurated an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) petrol pump named “Ujala Fuels” outside the District Jail Nabha (Maximum Security Jail) on Monday. The minister also virtually inaugurated another petrol pump at Sub-Jail Fazilka, both established by the Punjab Jail Development Board.
Accompanied by senior officials, including ADGP Jails Arunpal Singh, IG Jails Roop Kumar Arora, DIG Jails S.S. Saini, and IOC Executive Director Jatinder Kumar, Bhullar emphasized the Punjab government’s commitment to holistic development under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
“These petrol pumps represent a step toward transforming our jails into centers of rehabilitation,” Bhullar said, adding that eight such petrol pumps have been set up outside state jails. While six pumps are already operational in Ludhiana, Ropar, Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur, Sangrur, and Patiala districts, the new pumps at Nabha and Fazilka mark further expansion.
Each petrol pump generates approximately ₹5 lakh per month, which is reinvested into jail reforms and inmate welfare programs, the minister said. The pumps are operated in collaboration with IOC and involve well-behaved inmates in their operations, offering them opportunities to work outside the jail premises and earn a living.
“Engaging inmates in productive work benefits their mental and physical well-being while contributing to their reintegration into society,” Bhullar stated.
The event was attended by Nabha MLA Gurdev Singh Dev Mann, District Planning Committee Chairman Jassi Sohianwala, IOC Chief General Manager Viney Agarwal, Jail Superintendent Lalit Kumar Kohli, and other dignitaries.
