'Freedom Filling' Petrol Bunk Operated by Prisoners Reopens at Gandhipuram with Private Staff

Coimbatore: The Indian Oil petrol bunk operated by prison inmates at Gandhipuram, which had been temporarily closed on security grounds following a series of prison escape incidents, has reopened for public use with private staff.

Other retail outlets previously run by prison inmates across Tamil Nadu have also temporarily resumed operations with private employees after a review of security arrangements.

With the objective of reforming prisoners and providing them employment opportunities, the Tamil Nadu Prisons and Correctional Services Department, in collaboration with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), operates several Freedom Filling Stations manned by convicts with good conduct, under the direct supervision of prison authorities, as part of a rehabilitation and employment initiative.

However, following a series of recent prison escape incidents that triggered widespread concern, all outlets operated by inmates were temporarily closed as a precautionary measure to review security arrangements.

On October 26, 17 prisoners escaped simultaneously from the district prison at Thekkampatti in Theni district. Similarly, Raghavan, who was arrested in a snatching case, escaped from police custody within the premises of Coimbatore Central Prison in the early hours of October 31 while being taken there for remand.

Following a review and strengthening of security procedures, the prison department's retail outlets across Tamil Nadu have now begun reopening temporarily with private employees.

Accordingly, the prison department's Indian Oil petrol bunk at Gandhipuram, a prominent commercial hub in Coimbatore, has resumed operations. The outlet, which attracts a steady stream of motorists for its accurate fuel dispensing and quality fuel, has reopened with private staff, drawing a positive response from motorists and the public.

The petrol bunk was established in 2019 as a joint initiative of the Tamil Nadu Prisons and Correctional Services Department and IOCL. Subsequently, the city's second Freedom Filling Station was established on Bharathiar Road in Gandhipuram in August 2023.