8 hours ago
Kochi NIA Court directs jail authorities to consider wage hike for Maoist leader
KOCHI: A Maoist accused lodged in Viyyur high-security prison has approached the NIA Court in Kochi, seeking a wage revision after claiming he was denied a hike despite completing the required days of prison work.
Deepak alias Korsa Ramlu, a native of Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, who was arrested in a Maoist-related case in October 2021, has been serving as an inmate worker at the High-Security Prison in Viyyur since May 24, 2024.
According to his petition, he was assigned prison work from May 16, 2024, following a direction from the NIA Court. Initially employed as a sweeper, he is currently working as a gatekeeper. He claims to have completed 330 working days and is still being paid Rs 63 per day.
As per his submission, inmates are generally eligible for a wage increase to Rs 127 per day after completing 90 to 180 days of work. Despite repeated requests, prison authorities have not revised his wage.
Following the petition, the court sought a report from the jail superintendent, who clarified that wages for inmate workers are paid in three categories: apprentice (Rs 63), basic (Rs 127), and skilled (Rs 152) per day.
While the Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services (Management) Rules do not specify a fixed period for wage revision, inmates who complete a minimum of 180 working days are generally considered for a higher wage category based on their performance.
According to the report, Deepak has completed the required 180 days but has not demonstrated the performance level necessary for a wage hike. His work is reviewed monthly, and a wage revision will be considered only after he attains the required standard.
