PATNA, Oct. 3 -- Bihar will join a growing group of states using prison-linked petrol pumps as a rehabilitation and employment measure, as its home (prisons) department plans to make four petrol pumps operational at vacant central jail lands by early next year, officials said on Friday. The state has tied up with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) to set up the outlets on vacant prison land. The pumps will come up at the central jails in Buxar and Purnia, and at Shaheed Khudiram Bose Central Jail in Muzaffarpur and Shaheed Jubba Sahni Central Jail in Bhagalpur. IOCL has been selected for the Muzaffarpur and Purnia outlets, while HPCL will set up the pumps at Buxar and Bhagalpur. These jails are located along major roads and have sufficient vacant land meeting the minimum requirement of 1,225 sq ft and 35x35 metres for a retail outlet. The oil marketing companies (OMCs) will require three months to build the outlets after the land is handed over, officials said. The timeline will also depend on statutory clearances from district magistrates and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). The prisons department will meet representatives of the two oil companies, experts and superintendents of the four jails on October 6 to finalise a mutually agreed draft memorandum of understanding. The draft will then be vetted by the law department before the agreement is executed. "If everything goes as planned, the MoU will be signed and the foundation stone laid later this month," an official said, requesting anonymity. The state cabinet approved the Jail Petroleum Retail Outlet (Petrol Pump) Operations Rules, 2026, on September 15, paving the way for fuel stations to be established and operated on vacant land of prisons. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Nagaland, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are among the states with prison-linked fuel outlets. The initiative will generate revenue for the state and oil companies while providing paid employment to inmates. The state will earn Rs.3 per litre on petrol sales and Rs.2.50 per litre on diesel, while the oil companies will receive a commission of Rs.1-1.25 per litre. Convicts employed at the outlets will receive the daily remuneration prescribed under the state jail manual, ranging from Rs.147 to Rs.397 depending on their skill category. The OMCs will handhold the operations at fuel outlets for up to one year before transferring the responsibility to jail officials. Convicts serving long sentences who have maintained good conduct and are nearing the end of their prison terms will be selected for the job as part of the prison reform process....