Beur Central Jail. Telegraph picture

Patna, March 7: A section of the over 2,000 hardened criminals and Maoists housed at Beur Central Jail are working overtime these days on their body. Nope, they are not planning any jailbreak. They are getting ready for a body building championship to be held at the prison later this year.

The jail authorities have set up a gym on the prison premises to facilitate the prisoners to prepare themselves for the championship to be organised on a special occasion like Independence Day. Impressed with the enthusiasm among the jail inmates for the championship, inspector-general (prisons) Anand Kishore recently sanctioned Rs 90,000 for purchasing the required body building equipment.

Superintendent of jail Shivendra Priyadarshi told The Telegraph chest expander, bullworker, boxing bag, weight-lifting tools, dumble and other fitness equipment have been provided to the newly established gym.

“Initially we had started the gym with informal resources. But when Kishore came to know about the preparations, he sanctioned Rs 90,000 for purchasing the fitness tools,” Priyadarshi revealed.

The gym normally remains open for the inmates from 8.30am to 9.30am and from 3pm to 4.30pm. During the period, the gymnasium (40x60ft room) remains abuzz with activities.

“It looks nice to see the prisoners, whose names once spelt terror in their areas of operation, busy in body building exercise to look good and also keep themselves physically fit,” the jail superintendent said.

At present 80-90 prisoners have enrolled and they visit the gym on a regular basis. “They never miss the exercise. We have decided to engage some professional trainers to impart training to those taking part in the championship,” said Priyadarshi, who had been credited with setting up the first gym at Bhagalpur special central jail in 2008.

Initially, 40-50 inmates visited the gym every day on an average. Now, the number has gone up to 90.

“Some others have also approached the officials for exercising at the gym on a regular basis,” the jail superintendent said.

Priyadarshi said: “We will chalk out a strategy on how to allow spectators from outside to watch the championship.”

The winners of the championship would be honoured by senior officers of the prison department.

Regular exercise would also help the jail administration to de-addict the prisoners. “Once you start taking care of your body, you will fall in love with your body,” Priyadarshi said.

The Beur jail administration took up several measures in the recent past to turn the high security prison into a reformation centre.