Uttar Pradesh: Prison inmates supply 75,000 masks to frontline workers

Shalabh | TNN | Updated: Apr 14, 2020, 15:27 IST

They will start making PPE soon

NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: Pitching in from prison, inmates of Greater Noida’s Luksar and Ghaziabad’s Dasna jails have provided more than 75,000 triple-layer face masks in the past 10 days for those working to contain the spread of Covid-19.
The exercise first started in Ghaziabad on March 16. While 22 prisoners were involved with making 50,000 masks at Dasna, about 14 people prepared 25,000 masks at Luksar.
Dasna jail superintendent Vipin Mishra, who also has charge of Luksar jail SP, said that the masks had already been distributed to frontline workers.
“We have dispatched boxes containing masks to health department employees, police personnel and administrative officers who are involved with Covid-19 prevention work. Masks have also been distributed at police lines in the two districts,” said Mishra.
On April 10, the latest batch of 6,000 masks was handed over to police personnel deputed on 112 jeeps as well as to Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida, where Covid-19 patients are being treated.
Mishra said that they are coordinating with officials of the health department to stitch together personal protective gear in the coming weeks. “We are trying to arrange some samples and raw material. We have scores of skilled tailors and artisans who can produce protective gear,” he said.
Delhi’s Tihar and Mandoli jails had undertaken a similar exercise in March, in which prisoners had stitched 75,000 face masks for traffic police, inmates and for organisations that places orders.
The inmates, who are paid remunerations of Rs 40, Rs 30 and Rs 25 a day for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour, respectively, also plan to donate part of their savings to the UP CM’s relief fund.