Punjab CM’s Prisoners Rehabilitation Programme ends in failure

MULTAN: Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) has terminated courses in two Punjab prisons without conducting examinations for the convicted prisoners who had finished their courses under the Prisoners Rehabilitation Programme, it has been learnt on authority.
The prisoners say the three months technical courses they studied cannot benefit them if they are not put to test and awarded certificates. The issue has caused a tussle between Tevta and the Punjab Prisons Department, as the jail authorities have refused to return the training material lying in jails for non-completion of the courses, sources said. The Prisoner Rehabilitation Programme pilot project was launched under the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, which has been left half way.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Tevta and the Punjab Prisons Department to equip 800 convicted prisoners with technical skills in one year programme in Multan and Lahore central jails. However, Tevta terminated all courses in July 2014, as it failed to develop a batch of 100 prisoners against the target of 800 prisoners.
“Tevta has closed down its temporary offices in the Multan New Central jail,” a skilled inmate told The News on Tuesday. After termination of the programme, Government Technical Training Institute Multan principal wrote a letter vide No GTTI/DG/MN/359 dated 31-3-2015 to Multan New Central Jail superintendent, demanding the return of motorcycles and tools, equipment, machines etc, used during the training. However, the jail authorities refused to return the equipment, as Tevta had violated the MoU. The jail authorities demanded completion of courses and award of certificates to the courses participants.
Multan New Central Jail superintendent, in his letter vide No NCJ/MN/TEVTA/2015/5323, responded to the principal’s letter. He showed his concern over non-completion of the programme. The letter also requested Tevta to arrange for the second short-term courses at the jail.
However, Tevta authorities made contradictory claims about conducting exams in prisons. They also blamed the Prisons Department for not taking the pilot project seriously. Under the pilot project, technical skills of home appliances repair were to be imparted to 25 convicted prisoners in three months. Three months welding trade also targeted 25 prisoners. According to the MoU, 800 convicted prisoners were to be imparted technical skills in four batches with 100 prisoners in each batch at the end of one year programme. At least 400 each convicted prisoners were to be targeted at Multan and Lahore central jails. However, Tevta could complete only one batch of 100 prisoners and left the programme half way without conducting examinations. Initially, four courses were launched in two jails.
“I’m very close to completing my jail term. I have also completed three-month training in home appliances repair, but no exam conducted and no certificate awarded,” a prisoner at Multan Central Jail told The News on the condition of anonymity.
Talking to this scribe by phone, Tevta General Manager Operations Hamid Ghani Anjum said the jail authorities were least concerned about imparting technical skills at jails. He said it was Tevta which implemented the courses through its special efforts.
There are two bodies - Punjab Board of Technical Education (PETB) and Trade Testing Board Lahore (TTBL) - which conduct Tevta exams and issue certificates in the Punjab districts. When contacted, officials of both the bodies made contradictory statements about conducting exams in jails.