Paper work will help these inmates earn

Paper work will help these inmates earn
BY SHWETA KAMAT
PANJIM, AUG 18 
After Aguada jail inmates, chronic patients from Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB) along with Protection Home inmates will now lend a helping hand to the State government in producing their stationery.
Director of Printing and Stationary Department, N D Aggarwal, who initiated the programme last year in 2009 in the Aguada jail, feel’s that if normal person can get busy in their day-to-day life then these people too have their rights.
“These chronic illness patients have ample time at their disposal. Hence the sickness increases. We just wanted them to get busy in their lives,” Aggarwal told Herald.
He said that the decision to start such a workshop was taken only after consulting doctors from IPHB, who felt that this will reduce the sickness.
“The department had a backlog to cater and hence we took their help,” he stated.
The director confirmed that the inmates would be paid the wages according to the Minimum Wage Act.
A supervisor has been posted at IPHB who keeps records and accordingly the inmates are paid.
Nearly 25-odd patients, which include both male and female, are indulged in works like paper folding, applying gum to the envelopes, paper insertions and envelop making at the initial stage. The programme kicked off on August 13, 2010.
Similarly on Independence Day, exactly after one year of its success at Aguada jail, the department involved girls from Protection Home in the project. At present there are 20 girls working and the number varies on a day-to-day basis.
At Aguada jail, the entire hall has been converted into a workshop where large number of inmate’s fold paper and binds them.
“We have a paper folding machine but it can fold only one paper at a time, rest of the work has to be done manually. By outsourcing the work, we are reducing workload on the department staff and also giving inmates work,” Aggarwal said.
At the same time he made it clear that no machineries are been provided to any of the centers as it can lead to some problem. “The parts of machineries can be used by inmates against each other leading to serious harm. At times there are chances that they themselves can get hurt,” the director informed.
Goa Printing and Stationery Department takes care of the entire government’s requirement, right from birth certificate to death certificates. Everything required in various government departments is printed here.
Recently the department has also under taken the Central government’s Income Tax department works along with Karnataka.
IPHB Medical Superintendent Dr B S Cuncolienkar said that such works help the patients control their aggression and violent behaviour. “When a patient is occupied he knows that he is not a nuisance and is valued by others. This helps to control his violent behaviour,” he said.
IPHB says that there are such 30 chronic patients who will also be earning some money at the end of their treatment. “When they go back home that time also they can continue with this kind of work as they will be trained in it,” Cuncolienkar said.
The hospital is keeping track of each one’s account depending on his work and will give them the money when they require or when they are discharged.