Prisoners to get wages after 18-month delay

BENGALURU: Over 600 inmates of the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison and those who were released prematurely have a reason to cheer about. They will soon get their wages due from one-and-a-half years as the state government has released the funds.

Several convicts, undertrials and those who were released prematurely from the city central jail were not paid the wages for the work done between September 2016 and January 2018. The total amount due towards the wages was Rs 83,59,980. There was increasing pressure from the inmates on the prison department to pay their wages.

Earlier, the prison’s Chief Superintendent had written to the department’s head and the government had also given approval. But due to some technical issue, the fund was not being released. Now, the government has given approval to draw Rs 83,59,980 from the Karnataka Employees Benevolent Fund and distribute it to the inmates.

Sources in the prison department said that the inmates, who get Rs 30, 40 and 50 as daily wages based on their nature of work, get money credited to their Prisoner’s Personal Cash (PPC) accounts.“Each inmate has a PPC account and the money will be credited to it. But the wages never reach prisoners on time. There will be a delay of at least three months. Some years ago, it was delayed by nine months,” a source said.

Also, the wages to be paid to inmates not having a separate head of accounts is said to be reason for recurring delays. “The government sanctions funds to the prison department for various purposes like salary to the staff, modernisation, welfare schemes, etc. There is no exclusive fund through which wages can be paid to the prisoners. Only after the department gets sanction from the government to transfer the funds meant for other purposes towards the wages for prisoners, the money will be credited to the PPC accounts,” the source added.