Amla products made by Pratapgarh dist jail inmates to be available online

Prayagraj: Amla (Indian gooseberry) products, including murabba, candy, pickles, juice concentrate, powder etc, prepared by groups of inmates at Pratapgarh district jail would be available at an open outlet (outside jail) and online soon.

The initiative is part of the Uttar Pradesh prison department's OJOP (One Jail One Product) scheme that aligns with the state govt's ambitious ODOP (One District One Product) programme.

"As Pratapgarh's amla products are famous among buyers across the globe and demand for such products is increasing among consumers, jail authorities have planned to sell these products in different modes. Authorities are all set to open an outlet outside the jail campus from the first week of June," jail superintendent Rishabh Dwivedi told TOI.

He further said: "Authorities are also mulling over a plan for the sale of amla products online, and for that, necessary preparations are underway."

He said around four dozen inmates are preparing 12 types of amla products like amla laddoo, burfi, murabba, candy, trifala choorna, and amla pickles.

Amla products worth over 300 Kg made by inmates were also displayed at an exhibition and sold at the recently held Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.

"As the district jail Pratapgarh was allotted amla products under OJOP scheme, inmates were first imparted training in food processing under the state govt's 'Kaushal Vikas Mission' last year. The amla processing centre was set up in Nov 2024 at the jail," Dwivedi said, adding that there is high demand for amla products from various groups throughout the year.

He further said amla has been known for centuries to have an influence on wellness.

"The berries were used in traditional medicine to support digestive health, improve immunity and manage blood sugar levels," he said.