Members of IPS Officers? Wives Association give candle-making lessons to wives of jawans in a five-day workshop. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, July 5: Wives and daughters of policemen are being given training in making candles and incense sticks so they can have an additional source of income.

?Constable aren?t paid well so their wives are often unable to run the household,? said Pushpa Dayal, IPS Officers? Wives Association (IPSOWA), which is organising the workshop.

The five-day training programme started yesterday at the SSP office. Twenty-five women are taking part.

Shaymal Gomes from NGO Krishi Gram Vikas Kendra is training the women.

Dayal considers candle making a profitable venture, through which the women can make additional money. ?They can make the candles in their spare time,? she said.

Members of IPSOWA will help the women market the candles.

The costs of training the women are borne by IPSOWA members as well as the participants. Members of the association are contributing Rs 300 while the participants are paying Rs 200.

Ranjana Mullick, IPSOWA?s joint secretary, said women should be self-employed. ?Constables are not well paid and their wives find it difficult to meet expenses,? she said.

She suggested that the women make candles when they were alone at home.

?They can devote two hours to making candles after sending their children to school and while their husbands are on duty,? she said.

The association is organising a Diwali fair where the women can set up stalls and sell the candles.

?Constables are always under stress and they work long hours. We?re hoping that at least the financial troubles could be eased when the women are involved in making the candles and incense sticks,? she added.

Ritu Thapa was one of the participants at the workshop.

?It?s an innovative idea started by the members and women like us who do not possess any type of skills this type of programme helps a lot,? she said.