The efforts of the jail officials in Himachal Pradesh in enhancing the skills of inmates seem to be now bearing fruits as prisoners after learning livelihood skills are generating revenue for the HP Prison and Correctional Services department.

The ‘Har Haath Ko Kaam’ scheme, launched in 2017 to enhance skills of jail inmates, had resulted in the department earning Rs 4.68 crore in 2019-20, Rs 3.58 crore in 2018-19 and Rs 3.24 crore in 2017-18.

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The charges of labour paid in the year 2019-20 was Rs 1.48 crore, Rs 1.19 crore in 201819 and Rs 1.05 crore in 201718. A government official said the department with the objective of ensuring creative and livelihood works for inmates in safe custody was providing them with creative and livelihood works.

“Under ‘Har Haath Ko Kaam’ scheme, 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,” he said, adding the inmates are being taught work as per their interest and capacity.

The official said the products produced in these facilities were distributed under the brand name ‘HIMKARA’ which had 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 the Union Textile Ministry.

The prisoners of open jail are permitted to work in private factories under the scheme and presently, 150 prisoners including four women are earning under the scheme,” he said.

He further stated that to provide education and right guidance to inmates, centres of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) had 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, 85 inmates completed 10+2, 18 completed graduation degrees and three inmates completed post graduation.

In the year 2018-19, 67 inmates completed 10+2, 13 completed graduation and eight completed post-graduation, he said, adding library facility was also being provided to the inmates for improving their knowledge.

The official added the 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 facilities were also being provided in the past three years and around 23 HIV camps had been organised in all districts in which tests of 2013 inmates were done, he added.