Former MP Prajwal Revanna, now inmate no. 15528 in Bengaluru Central Prison, earns just ₹540 a month under a strict routine. His meals include mutton and chicken only twice a month, with limited calls and visits allowed as per prison rules.
Bengaluru: Once drawing a basic salary of ₹1.2 lakh per month as a Lok Sabha MP from Hassan, Prajwal Revanna now faces a starkly different reality. Lodged as inmate no. 15528 in Bengaluru Central Prison, his maximum potential earnings will be just ₹540 per month, the fixed wage for convicts working eight-hour shifts, six days a week.
Awaiting Job Assignment
Prajwal, who recently moved to the convict barracks, will have until Monday to choose his work. Prison officials say new inmates typically start with unskilled tasks such as bakery assistance or basic tailoring. After a year, those found capable may be promoted to skilled work like weaving or smithy jobs. Convicts sentenced to rigorous imprisonment are required to work unless medically exempted.
Daily Routine And Strict Schedule
Inmates start their day at 6:30 am, followed by breakfast. The rotating breakfast menu includes veg pulao (Sunday), tomato bath (Monday), chitranna (Tuesday), poha (Wednesday), puliyogare (Thursday), upma (Friday), and vangibhath (Saturday).
Lunch is served between 11:30 am and noon, with dinner following in the evening, both featuring chapatis, ragi balls, sambar, white rice, and buttermilk. On Tuesdays, inmates receive an egg; mutton is served on the first and third Fridays, and chicken on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.
Prajwal will be allowed two phone calls a week, each lasting up to 10 minutes. He can also meet family or friends once a week in accordance with prison visitation rules.
Wage Arrears Plague Convicts Across State
While Prajwal awaits his first assignment, thousands of convicts already working in prisons across Karnataka have not received their wages for over a year. Around 1,500 inmates are engaged in various prison jobs, with pending wages amounting to ₹3 crore.
The state houses nearly 14,500 inmates across eight central prisons and multiple district jails. However, current rules allow only about 15% of prisoners to be assigned work. Prison officials say the government has assured them that the pending payments will be cleared soon.