Lucknow: More than 500 inmates in five jails in western Uttar Pradesh have contributed Rs 2.3 lakh towards the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the care of the corona patients. The inmates had earned the money from the wages they receive for work in the prison industry, like carpentry, tailoring, weaving, etc.

The inmates are from the jails in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad and Baghpat.

Director General (prison administration and reform services) Anand Kumar said, "This shows their resolve to help the government in fighting the pandemic. The wages that the prisoners earn is used by them in buying things from the jail canteen, but they have decided to contribute the same money to the government fund." The inmates in Ghaziabad have raised the maximum of Rs 84,600, followed by Meerut inmates with Rs 81,700 and Muzaffarnagar prisoners with Rs 28,000.

Prisoners in almost all the Uttar Pradesh jails have already been making high-quality, affordable protective masks for the retail market. More than five lakh masks have been stitched by inmates in a month.

Some jails have also started making personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, to be used by health workers.

Fifty sets of PPEs, including full face shield masks and full body aprons have been stitched by inmates at the Balarampur jail as per the specifications given to them