By Our Staff Reporter
DEHRADUN, 2 Jan: An on-site visit and discussions were held at the District Jail, here, on Thursday, under the Skill Development Programme, with the aim of setting up two handloom units through the Silk Federation to provide self-employment opportunities and promote economic independence of male and female inmates, post-release.
Present during the joint inspection by the Silk Federation and Jail Department officials, were Deputy Inspector General, Jails, Dadhiram Maurya, Assistant Inspector General, Jails, Dheerendra Singh Gunjiyal, Managing Director, Silk Federation, Anand Shukla, Director Pradeep Kumar, Manager Matbar Kandari, Jailor Pawan Kothari, Senior Administrative Officer Manoj Kholiya, and Textile Engineer Ankit Khati. They inspected the proposed Skill Development Centre and discussed the production of silk and blended silk fabrics by inmates at the Dehradun Jail.
Based on the discussions and consensus reached at the meeting, the Silk Federation will establish two Jacquard-equipped handloom units in the first phase—one for female inmates with two handlooms and five handlooms for male inmates—and will provide them with skill development and training.
After training, the Federation will produce items under its brand Doon Silk, using trained inmate weavers, and these products will be produced based on piece rates. This will not only enhance the production capacity of the Federation but also contribute to the socio-economic uplift and skill development of the inmates. The inauguration of the Skill Development Centre is expected to take place soon, with the Chief Minister presiding over the event.
To formalise the process, a contract will soon be executed between the Jail Department and the Federation. Prior discussions regarding this matter have already taken place between Assistant Inspector General, Jails, and Administrator of Silk Federation, Sonika.
