Prisoners to get double wages, Maha Govt tells HC

Skilled prisoners would now get Rs 40 per day instead of Rs 25 given earlier while those of semi-skilled were hiked from Rs 17 to Rs 35, chief public prosecutor Pandurang Pol informed a division bench comprising Justices Ajay Khanvilkar and U D Salvi.
Wages of unskilled workers was also increased to Rs 25 per day as against Rs 12.75 earlier, Pol said, adding the hike was done after a government resolution to this effect was issued yesterday.

The bench, then, disposed off petitions filed by prisoners Hitesh Shah and Wilson Castelino seeking increase in wages.

Shah filed the petition for enhancement of wages on the grounds that there has been no hike for the past 10 years. He stated that the Supreme Court had asked all the states to reconsider hike in wages of prisoners every 10 years.
"The scale of wages is minimal and against the Minimum Wages Act of 1948 under which the minimum daily wage is Rs 110 per day," Shah, who is lodged in Nasik jail, said.

Another petition, which sought facilities besides hike in wages, was adjourned to three weeks as the prosecutor sought time to file reply.
The petition, filed by prisoner Sumit Giri, urged for raising the level of nutrition, improvement in health and hygiene and allowing transfer of money to relatives of prisoners.