Guwahati, Feb. 3: After spending more than two months in Guwahati central jail in an alleged rape case, AIUDF MLA from Boko, Gopinath Das, raised different issues related to prisons and their inmates in the Assembly today.

Das, in a starred question, asked the state government what steps are being taken to improve the condition of jails in the state and also wanted to know if the government will increase the daily wage of prisoners to Rs 200.

Minister for prisons Girindra Mallik said the government is regularly taking steps to repair and renovate toilets, bathrooms, prison cells, kitchens, drains and peripheral walls, among others, in all prisons in the state.

Altogether there are 31 prisons in the state where 9,166 inmates are lodged against registered capacity of 8,292 (as on December 31, 2015).

Mallik said the accommodation capacity was increased in Sivasagar and Abhayapuri jails, water supply facility at Barpeta jail was completed in 2015-16 and water supply scheme in Karimganj jail is under implementation.

"Video conferencing facilities have been installed at Guwahati central jail and CCTV cameras will also be installed," Mallik said.

On the wage issue, the minister said currently, the daily wage of Rs 75 is paid to skilled prisoners and Rs 55 to unskilled prisoners. Mallik said the state government would examine if it (wage) can be increased to Rs 200. He said Rs 48 per day per person is spent on providing food to prisoners undergoing rigorous imprisonment and Rs 46 in case of prisoners undergoing simple imprisonment.

Das was arrested by Kamrup police on October 5 last year for allegedly raping his 14-year-old domestic help. He was released from jail on December 25 on bail.