Bengaluru: Bank accounts for jailbirds at Parappana Agrahara

Bengaluru: Setting a worthy example, the authorities of Central Prison Parappana Agrahara have opened over 1,500 bank accounts for the inmates under the financial inclusion plan of the Central Government.

Acting upon the direction of Additional Director General of Prisons N.S. Megharikh, prison officials has signed a MoU with the Naganathapura branch of State Bank of India.

Chief Superintendent of Police (Prisons) M. Somashekar told Deccan Chronicle, “Based on the skills a prisoner has, he will be allowed to work in various factories in the prison, like bakery, carpentry, printing, power looms and others. For the work he does, he will be given wages. All these years we used to keep the wages with us and handed it over to them at the time of their release."

But after we started issuing Aadhaar cards to the prisoners, we also began opening bank accounts for them under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. This initiative will also help the inmates get interest for the amount deposited in the bank, he added.

Central Prison Manager Chunchaiah said, "We have dedicated a separate room inside the prison campus for the purpose of bank operations. Bank officials will visit the prison weekly twice to open new accounts and also help the inmates transact."

Passbooks and withdrawal slips will be with us. Accounts will be opened with prison address, which the inmate can change after his release and get the account shifted to this nearest SBI and plan his future with the money in his account, he added.

As for feedback of the inmates who have opened their bank accounts, Chunchaiah said, "They are happy as they can have a better control over their lives after they step out of the prison. This apart they will be eligible for an insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh with an annual fee of Rs 42."After the completion of the pilot project, the same will be extended to all the sub-jails across the state, he added.