Prajwal Revanna
BENGALURU: Just last year, Prajwal Revanna drew a basic salary of Rs 1.2 lakh a month plus various allowances until he was disqualified as an MP in April 2024. Today, as a life prisoner (no. 15528) lodged in Bengaluru Central Prison, his earnings will not exceed Rs 540 per day, the standard pay fixed for convicts who work eight-hour shifts and six days a week.As per prison rules, all convicts are eligible to work and earn, except Sundays. But Prajwal is yet to be assigned any job, prison officials told TOI. “New convicts usually begin with unskilled work, like assisting in the bakery or doing basic tailoring. After a year, if found suitable, they may be promoted to skilled labour roles such as weaving or smithy work,” a senior prison source said.As the former Lok Sabha member from Hassan was shifted to the convict barrack Friday, he will be given time until Monday to choose his work. “Every Monday, new convicts are allocated their tasks. Regardless of the nature of work, the fixed wage is Rs 540 per month,” the official added. Another senior official said, “Any inmate sentenced to rigorous imprisonment should compulsorily work as per the prison guidelines.“Life behind barsConvicts, unless exempted for health reasons, begin their day at 6.30am. After basic routine, breakfast is served. “It’s a rotating menu through the week: veg pulao on Sunday, tomato bath on Monday, chitranna on Tuesday, poha on Wednesday, puliyogare on Thursday, upma on Friday, and vangibhath on Saturday,” a source said.Lunch is served between 11.30am and noon, and all inmates must return to their barracks by 6.30pm. Both lunch and dinner consist of chapatis, ragi balls, sambar, white rice, and buttermilk. Tuesdays, convicts receive an egg. Mutton is served on the first and third Friday of every month, and chicken on the second and fourth Saturday.Prajwal, like others, will be allowed to make two phone calls a week, each lasting a maximum of 10 minutes. He can also meet family or friends once a week, as per prison visitation rules.Wage arrears hit convictsWhile Prajwal awaits his job assignment, thousands of other convicts already at work have not been paid for over a year. “Across the state, more than 1,500 convicts are engaged in various tasks, but their wages — amounting to about Rs 3 crore — are pending,” a source in the prison department said.The state has around 14,500 inmates spread across eight central prisons and several district jails. However, only up to 15% of them can be assigned work under existing rules. “The govt has assured us that the dues will be released soon,” the official added.
