Jails to function as new skill development centres: Minister

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 12

Punjab Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa held a meeting with city industrialists engaged in manufacturing sports goods with an aim to providing employment to inmates lodged in jails across the state.

The minister called upon industrialists to hire the services of the inmates as per the latter’s expertise to manufacture sports goods. It would serve the two-fold purpose of meeting the required human resources need of the sports industry and providing employment to the inmates.

While addressing the media after the meeting, Randhawa said the meeting was held with a view to transforming the jails as skill development centres and providing employment avenues to the inmates.

He said the jails were called ‘reform homes’ which give a chance to the inmates to reform themselves.

The minister said there was a need to generate employment avenues to make the inmates choose a constructive path in life.

“It would lead to inmates engaging in work with a happy mindset as they would get their dues after their release,” he said.

Randhawa said during the meeting, he proposed that the inmates should be engaged in the vocation of making sports goods. The work would include making of items such as footballs, handballs, basketballs, rugby balls, volleyballs, bats, hockey sticks, tennis strings, squash and badminton rackets.