Property damage from recent unrest at five prisons has been estimated at more than Rs. 255 million, with the Negombo, Mahara, Magazine, Pallansena and Kuruwita prisons among those affected.
The figure was disclosed during a “Rataama Ekata” national operations council meeting chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today (10).
The meeting also examined measures to curb violent incidents involving inmates, including greater access to psychiatric services within the prison system.
The president directed authorities to speed up work on amendments to the Rehabilitation Act No. 54 of 2007 and to accelerate legal drafting work by recruiting experienced retired officials on a contractual basis to address delays at the Legal Draftsman’s Department.
Meanwhile, officials reviewed the progress of the “Mithuru Pasala” programme, which is being jointly implemented by the Education and Health ministries to prevent drug use among schoolchildren.
The programme focuses on developing students’ personalities and training teachers, principals and counsellors to identify children who may be using drugs and provide them with appropriate guidance.
President Dissanayake also called for targeted programmes in schools located in areas considered to have high drug risks and high population density.
The meeting was told of concerns over an increase in drug use among children attending international schools.
The importance of parental vigilance was also discussed, with drug-testing kits available through pharmacies for parents seeking to check their children.
Officials also examined the use of the internet and social media to promote drugs and discussed using the same platforms to strengthen anti-drug awareness.
The meeting reviewed progress under a revised six-part national strategy covering drug prevention, early detection, rehabilitation, legal and institutional reforms, relapse prevention and follow-up, and planning, regulation, review and reporting.
The programme involves the Health and Mass Media Ministry, Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Ministry, Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, Bureau of Rehabilitation, Sri Lanka Police, armed forces and several other state institutions. (Newswire)