State Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Dilip Wedaarachchi states that the newly constructed prison in Angunakolapelessa must not be declared open.
He stated that the new prison would subject the Tangalle populace to various issues.
Dilip Wedaarachchi stated that if the Angunakolapelessa Prison were to be declared open, it would face the same fate as the Welikada Prison, where drug dealers and drug lords would be placed within its walls, which would subsequently affect the innocent youths of the region.
According to State Minister Dilip Wedaarachchi, the new Prison premises which was built using government funds estimated at Rs. 7000 million, is inclusive of a hostel, 30 watcher barracks, a canteen accommodating 200 at a time, sports complex, swimming pool, 5 halls for inmates, and a two-storied hospital.
The prison is expected to house over 4000 inmates.
He stated that the Tangalle Prison currently accommodating a mere 300 to 400 inmates did not need such a large facility, and accordingly, requested Cabinet Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera and Sajith Premadasa to establish a hospital or a university in its place.
He pointed out that a new building had not been constructed within the Tangalle Hospital premises for years, and that patients were now “under the beds”.
In response to the request made my State Minister Dilip Wedaarachchi, Cabinet Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that he did not have the opportunity to oppose the decision made by the Government back then.
He also requested that they accommodate only prisoners of the Hambantota District regardless of how large the facility was.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Sajith Premadasa, also in response to Dilip Wedaarachchi’s statements, affirmed that the construction of the new prison facility was in fact based on a poor decision, and added that he himself agreed that the facility must instead be used to establish an institution that would be of actual value.
