Hoshiarpur, August 20:- Chairperson of National Commission for Women Vijaya Rahatkar today reached the local Central Jail during her visit and met the women prisoners and motivated them to lead a better life in the mainstream after completing their sentences. After this, she held a meeting with the district administration and reviewed the ongoing programs and welfare schemes related to women in the district.
The Chairperson urged the officials to lay more emphasis on the need for women’s safety, legal rights, rehabilitation, economic empowerment and all-round welfare and development of women from weaker sections.
During the visit to the Central Jail, Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, in the presence of Jail Superintendent Harcharan Singh Gill, Additional Superintendent Harbans Singh, Deputy Superintendent Asha Rani and other officers, said that after completing their sentence, women prisoners should focus on their better future as well as the progress of their children in the society and should adopt self-employment ventures.
She said that the government is providing necessary assistance to women under various development and welfare initiatives so that they can earn their livelihood. The Chairperson appealed to the women in jail under the NDPS Act to stay away from anti-social activities like drugs, saying that it is not only harmful to the younger generation but also tarnishes their own future.
She also asked the prisoners about any problem they are facing in the jail, on which the Chairperson expressed happiness when the prisoners appreciated the facilities being provided including accommodation, food and health services.
She stressed on the need to provide free legal aid and further strengthen the initiatives related to rehabilitation as well as skill development to the prisoners, so that they can become self-reliant and rejoin the mainstream of society with dignity after the completion of their sentence.
She also inspected the facilities available for the newborns and young children living with their mothers in the jail and reviewed the arrangements made for their care, nutrition, safety and overall welfare.
The Chairperson appreciated the performance of various women-centric schemes and programmes in the district. She also stressed on the effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. She also directed to create awareness about compliance with legal requirements, functioning of internal committees and grievance redressal mechanisms available at the workplaces.