Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced the setting of the Self-Reliant Reforms Centre at Colvale Jail today after inaugurating the newly constructed cowshed and Sanitary Pad making machine at the modern central Jail at Colvale.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister said in future, milk will be supplied to inmates through this cow shed, and also, Gober gas will be generated so the requirement of gas cylinders will be fulfilled. With the intention to make the inmates fully reformed on their release, various reformatory activities such as tailoring, paper bag making, carpentry pottery, activity sewing machine activities have been undertaken in the Jail, which will help to show the creativity of inmates, he added. CM also appreciated the Department of Handicraft, Textile & Coir & Textiles, and Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA-North Goa) for extending their support to make these reformatory activities successful in Jail premises.
CM applauded Rev. Fr. Maverick Fernandes & his team from Prison Ministry India (Goa Unit) Caritas for conducting meditation programmes for the Jail inmates, and also Brahma Kumaris for conducting Meditation & Yoga in order to enhance the confidence of the inmates and keep them healthy and positive.
CM also released the Arm Badge introduced for the Uniform sleeves of the Executive Jail Staff. CM also visited various Blocks of the Colvale Jail and viewed various reformatory activities undertaken in Colvale Jail.
During the visit, CM interacted with the inmates and the Jail Staff and appreciated the efforts of everyone for the reformatory activities undertaken in the Jail with dedication. ‘Certificate of Merit’ was awarded to the inmates who stood 1st in the Trades, i.e. bachelor’s Degree, Masters’s Degree, Xth Std, while pursuing external studies through IGNOU & NIOS from the Jail itself.
Addressing the gathering, Inspector General of Prisons Shri Omvir Singh Bishnoi, IPS, briefed about various future projects to be taken up in the Colvale Jail, such as the “Go Green Project”. He said that providing solar panel structures on the entire rooftops of the Colvale Jail will go a long way to produce green energy and thereby help to reduce the electricity bill to ‘zero’. It will cover the street lights, cooking through steamers, pumping of water through solar motor pumps, solar heater for hot water, and entire usage of electricity in all the Jail Blocks to be switched over to green energy, he informed.
Also present on the occasion was Gauresh Kurtikar Superintendent, Modern Central Jail Colvale.
