Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-10-17

Construction of a new prison lockup in Mannar

- The prison inmates due to be produced before the Mannar Courts are detained in the Vavuniya Prison and it is a difficult task to convey them daily along a distance of about 85 KM from the Vavuniya Prison to the Mannar Courts. As such, they are escorted to Mannar the day before and detained temporarily in a building belonging to the Department of Customs and since the building is very old it has been difficult to provide the inmates with even the basic facilities. Accordingly, considering the need of constructing a permanent prison lockup in Mannar for the Department of Prisons, the proposal made by Hon. D.M. Swaminathan, the Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs, to construct a new prison lockup in the block of land located in the Grama Niladhari Division of Uppukulama (South) adjoining the Mannar Court Complex released to the Department of Prisons, was approved by the Cabinet.