The scorching pace of infrastructure development in India has opened up new vistas and opportunities for a cross section of people from the society. The spurt in demand for quality infrastructure, housing and commercial catchments has caught many a project implementing agency napping for want of skilled construction personnel from workers to supervisors. This is corroborated by the fact that construction is the second largest economic activity after agriculture and hence a huge sectoral employer.

This is perhaps what has spurred the Government of Madhya Pradesh to join hands with the Apex Body for Construction in India – Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC) to come forward and launch a rehabilitation and skill empowerment programme for jail inmates in the state.

1500 inmates from prisons across the state stand to be benefited from this joint initiative. To be launched in the first week of December 2007, in Bhopal, the programme will have a footprint across 7 central jails in MP and eventually 117 small and large size jails in the state.

As part of its extension education programme, CIDC aims to empower the weaker and underprivileged sections of the society by offering a plethora of options within the construction sector. Apart from Diploma in Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering one can choose from 47 trades from masons to machine operators that cover the entire spectrum of construction activities.

The prison rehabilitation programme will start with training for CONSTRUCTION WORKS SUPERVISORS where the minimum qualification would be 8th pass and minimum age of the person should be 18 years. The curriculum to be developed and disseminated by CIDC faculty will be holistic and cover an entire range of topics. The classes will be for 4 hrs spread over one month. This will be followed up with one month practical exposure and thence participants will be able to sit for a certification examination culminating in certification of successful candidates. The certificates to successful participants to be provided by CIDC.

As part of inmate rehabilitation programme, post completion of their sentence, CIDC will provide opportunity to successful inmates to serve as teaching faculty under this programme based on applicable terms and conditions from time to time.

The jail infrastructure will be revamped for this programme and workshops and labs will be set up for the practical training.

It is noteworthy to mention that such a initiative is a positive step towards bringing the outlaws in the mainstream through affirmative action. This initiative warrants all encouragement from different stakeholders including the industry and society.

An MOU to this effect was signed on 29th October 2007 between Principal Secretary Department of Jail, Government of Madhya Pradesh – Mr. Dilip Mehra and Director General CIDC, Mr. P R Swarup, who have taken the vow to provide wholehearted support to this initiative and support it through testing times culminating in yet another positive opportunity for the society to apply the soothing balm on stressed souls for increased participation in nation building.

The programme success will definitely open up opportunities for a section of society that can make its transition from lawbreakers to nation makers.