In an effort to boost a fresh start for those with a criminal record, the Andhra Pradesh government organised a job mela in Vijayawada on Saturday, 5 March, where top-tier business firms gathered to recruit repeat offenders who want to start anew in life, reported The Times of India.
At least 37 such 'history-sheeters' were offered placement letters by a few companies, out of the 17 companies that participated in the job fair. Backed by the police, these young men were weaned off from crime and given a new lease of life under counselling sessions with psychologists in the past two months.
The job mela was organised in association with the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) and it is the first time that history-sheeters in the state have been given job opportunities.
'A Positive Beginning': Vijayawada Police
An HR manager in a corporate company stated that they hired about 22 people from the fair, which also included some youth with a criminal past. “As these people were referred to by the police and APSSDC, we don’t have any problem hiring them,” he said.
“Though the number of persons recruited appears small, we think that it is a very positive beginning. We want to take this forward across all police stations soon."Vijayawada city police commissioner Kanti Rana Tata told TOI.
The initiative, a brainchild of Vijayawada Commissioner of Police Kanthi Rana Tata, was tried on a pilot basis under certain police stations. Counselling sessions were given to these prior offenders before the fair, where the police arranged for interactions with psychiatrists, psychologists and industry experts to engender positivity amongst them.
Reportedly, the history-sheeters agreed to leave behind their past and sign up for alternative work.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Babu Rao, along with Additional Deputy Commissioner K Srinivas had coordinated the project.
(With inputs from The Times of India.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)