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Punjab govt to honour 148 ITI girls who armed Covid warriors with 2.3 lakh masks
Readied masks using sewing machines at home; 13 principals will also be acknowledged for motivating the students
Pawan Kaur, a student at Government Industrial Training Institute, Women, Rayya, Amritsar, has sewed 3,800 masks in a span of 59 days for the frontline warriors battling the Covid-19 pandemic and those living in slum areas.
She is among the 148 girl students of ITIs across the state, who have each made more than 1,000 four-layered washable masks from their homes, readying over 2.3 lakh masks during this period.
In all, more than 15 lakh masks have been stitched by 4,600 students with the support of their teachers and principals.
To honour the efforts of the students and 13 principals of ITIs, the state government will acknowledge them with appreciation letters on Monday.
“It is important to recognise the efforts put in by these students and principals. The students have contributed to this cause by stitching masks and principals went out of their way to collect raw material through donations and deliver it at students’ home. They also collect the masks and distribute them among frontline Covid warriors,” said Anurag Verma, principal secretary, technical education and industrial training, Punjab.
“The appreciation certificates will be given to the ITI principals at our Chandigarh office. The principals will further hand these over to the 148 students. We will also hold a meeting with the students through video conference to appreciate them and share their experience,” he added.
Additional secretary (directorate of technical education and industrial training) Daljit Kaur Sidhu, said, “Students who stitched more than 1,000 masks will be acknowledged with appreciation letters. Besides, we selected principals from ITIs where students stitched 25,000 or more masks with their efforts.”
TOP 3 STUDENTS WITH MOST MASKS
Twenty nine-year-old Pawan Kaur, who stays in a joint family, said she prefers stitching masks early morning and late night.
“I learnt the technique though YouTube, and with practice, I am able to stitch one mask in five minutes. While the ITI teachers deliver the cloth at home, my mother-in-law motivates me to contribute to the noble cause,” she said.
“Since childhood, I was fond of sewing and decided to pursue a course in tailoring. It will be an honour to receive the appreciation letter from the Punjab government,” said Kaur, who hails from Baba Bagla Sahib village in Amritsar.
Kanwaljeet Kaur, a student of ITI Women, Rajpura, Patiala, who stitched 3,748 masks also figures in the Top 3 students with maximum masks.
The 21-year-old, who hails from Babipur village, Patiala, said, “I am pursuing a dress-making course from ITI. When I was asked to stitch masks to fight the coronavirus pandemic, I devoted five hours daily to it. I am excited to receive the appreciation letter. My mother helped me greatly in making the masks.”
A student of Government Institute of Textile Industry and Knitting Technology, Ludhiana, Parminderjeet Kaur, stitched 3,706 masks.
“While my parents encouraged me to stitch masks, receiving an appreciation letter will motivate me and several other students,” she said.
“I am studying surface ornamentation technology course from ITI and doing this course to earn a job,” added Parminderjeet, a resident of Vishkarma Colony in Ludhiana.
The 13 principals to receive the letters are Darshan Singh of Government Institute of Textile Chemistry and Knitting Technology, Ludhiana; Darshan Singh of Government ITI (W), Ahmedgarh, Ludhiana; Maninder Kaur of ITI (W), Rajpura; Jagtar Singh of ITI (W), Moga; Ranjit Kaur of ITI (W), Rayya Amritsar; Shamsher Singh of ITI (W), Mohali; Meenakshi Garg of ITI (W), Patiala; Jatinder Singh of Government Institute of Garment Technology, Amritsar; Harvinder Bhardwaj of ITI (SC), Mansa; Manjeet Kaur of ITI, Dera Bassi; Ram Singh of ITI (W), Nangal, Rupnagar; Jagtar Singh of ITI (W), Kheowali, Muktsar Sahib; and Mohan Singh of ITI, Maloud.
