Har Haath Ko Kaam Yojna: Prisoners earn Rs. 4.68 crore from selling products
Shimla: Department of Prison and Correctional Services whilst detaining inmates in safe custody is maintaining their human dignity and developing their sense of social responsibility by providing them creative and livelihood works.
In past three years, under ‘Har Haath Ko Kaam Yojna, bakery, canteen, stitching, welding, car washing, laundry, spice unit, saloon, trades etc have been introduced in prisons. Along with introduction of new works, emphasis has been laid to enhance the previously carried works of carpentry, dairy farming and handloom. The inmates are being taught work as per the interest and capacity of the inmates.
The successful implementation of these has resulted in achieving the turnover of Rs. 4.68 crore in 2019-20, Rs. 3.58 crore in 2018-19 and Rs. 3.24 crore in 2017-18. The charges of labour paid in the year 2019-20 was Rs. 148.6 lakh, in 2018-19 was Rs.119.7 lakh and in 2017-18 the amount paid for labour charges was 105 lakh. The products produced in these facilities are distributed under the brand name “HIMKARA” which has been registered under Trade Mark Act-1999 in April 2019.
The products produced in these prisons are being made available at GeM portal. Shawls, scarves and coat material produced by inmates have also been provided with ‘Handloom Mark’ by Ministry of Textile, Government of India. Prisoners of open jail are permitted to work in private factories under the Har Haath Ko Kaam Yojna.
Presently, four women and 146 prisoners are earning under the scheme.
To provide education and right guidance to inmates, Centres of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) have been opened in prisons. Education was imparted to 106 inmates in the 2017-18 and 88 inmates in 2018-19. In the year 2017-18 about 85 inmates completed 10+2, 18 completed the degree of graduation and three inmates completed post-graduation. In the year 2018-19, about 67 inmates completed 10+2, 13 completed the graduation and eight completed post-graduation. Library facility is also being provided to the inmates for improving their knowledge.
State Government was also ensuring proper medical facilities to inmates, for which posts of full-time medical officer has been sanctioned for Model Central Jail Kanda in District Shimla, Lala Lajpat Rai District Correctional Home Dharamshala and Open Jail Bilaspur. Besides providing general medical facilities, HIV and Tuberculosis profiling facility is also being provided in past three years. About 23 HIV camps have been organised in all districts in which tests of 2013 inmates are done.
Blood testing labs have also been setup in all prisons, so that timely treatment is provided to inmates. In June 2020, Dental Health Clinic has also been established at Kanda Jail and provision to setup more such clinics were also being made.
