Joint Opposition sources said yesterday that the government was yet to appoint a permanent Commissioner General of Prisons. Prasad Hemantha Kumara, appointed on 2 April, 2026, functions as the Acting CG of Prisons.

Thushara Upuldeniya, who served as CG, Prisons, was arrested on June 9, 2025, by the CID, following a complaint from the Presidential Secretariat regarding the release of a prisoner from the Anuradhapura Prison, on Vesak Poya Day. The Colombo Magistrate’s Court remanded him on June 10 and later released him on bail on July 9, 2025, under conditions including a travel ban and prohibition from entering prison premises.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has emphasised the need to introduce body scanners to reduce invasive body-search practices. The HRCSL has stressed that the introduction of body scanners was needed to protect the dignity of prison inmates.

This issue has been taken up during a recent meeting called by the HRCSL. Secretaries to the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Public Security, as well as senior police officers, the Acting Commissioner General of Prisons, and several Commissioners of Prisons were present. The HRCSL was represented by the Chairperson Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya, Commissioners, several Directors, and other officers.

The meeting focused on violence at the Negombo Prison, on 05th and 06th of July, 2026, and, subsequently, at several other prisons, including the Mahara Prison, on 18th August, 2026. The Commission held discussions with the relevant authorities on measures to prevent the recurrence of such violence.

The HRCSL issued the following statement: “The Chairman of the Commission recalled the report published subsequent to an extensive study conducted by the Commission into prisons and detention centres in 2018 and the relevant recommendations published in 2020 pointed out that, on previous occasions, the Commission had proposed that the recommendations contained in the said report be taken into consideration in the preparation of the strategic plans for 2021 and 2025, and had emphasised the need to implement those recommendations.

The discussion focused on issues including the safety and security of inmates and prison officers, overcrowding within prisons, and inadequate sanitary and water facilities. The Acting Commissioner General of Prisons stated that measures are being taken to construct new prisons at Bogambara and Mahamodara, relocate the Galle, Matara, and Wariyapola prisons to more spacious locations, and construct new buildings at the Kalutara and Boossa prisons. The state officials present at the discussion further stated that measures are being taken to amend the relevant laws and introduce appropriate technological measures to facilitate alternatives to detention, such as community service and house arrest, in order to address the issue of overcrowding.

Representatives of the Ministry of Justice stated that attention is being given to filling vacancies at the Government Analyst’s Department to expedite the analysis process in cases involving persons detained for drug-related charges. They further stated that steps are being taken to address gaps in the existing legal framework relating to the rehabilitation of persons affected by drug addiction. The Commission emphasised the need to introduce body scanners to reduce invasive body-search practices involving detainees and to safeguard their dignity and bodily integrity. The Acting Commissioner General Prisons thereafter assured the Commission that measures are being taken to procure new equipment and that a Press Notice No: HRC/P/i/E/20/08/26 2 database is being established by Prisons Headquarters in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Police to maintain comprehensive records of detainees.

In response to the Commission’s inquiry regarding complaints by inmates alleging that they had been assaulted by officials, the Acting Commissioner General of Prisons informed the Commission that an internal investigation was being conducted that appropriate disciplinary action would be taken.

The Commission recalled that it has issued several guidelines and recommendations on how to address the current situation in prisons. It has received reports from several institutions indicating that initial steps are being taken to implement these guidelines and recommendations. The Commission reiterated the importance of ensuring that these measures are implemented regularly and continuously.

The investigations initiated by the Commission into the unrest within the prisons are currently ongoing, and recommendations will be issued to the relevant authorities upon completion of the investigations.”

TNPF leader and Jaffna District MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam has accused NPP/JVP government of using development as a pretext to acquire 3,000 acres in Valikamam north while neglecting India-funded Palaly airport improvements.

Speaking at a press conference at the Vadamarachchi media house in Point Pedro recently, Ponnambalam said the JVP/NPP government was pursuing the acquisition of around 3,000 acres under the pretext of expanding the airport. The lawmaker argued that the government should instead concentrate on completing the airport’s already planned development programme, which he said could be undertaken without acquiring additional land, Tamil Guardian reported.

Palaly airport has been designated an international airport and currently operates only limited services to India. According to him, however, the government has failed to demonstrate sufficient interest in improving and expanding those existing operations, despite a three-stage development plan for the airport. He said the government is instead delaying the implementation of the planned stages while pressing ahead with proposals that would require further land acquisition.

MP Gajendrakumar particularly pointed to the second phase of the development programme, under which the airport runway is to be rehabilitated. He said the Indian government had offered to provide the full funding required for the runway rehabilitation, but accused the Sri Lankan government of failing to show the necessary commitment to implement the project.

“If that work is carried out, the standard of Palaly airport can be improved without the need to acquire additional land,” Gajendrakumar said. He maintained that India is prepared to provide the necessary financial assistance, questioning why the JVP/NPP government is not proceeding with the planned three-stage redevelopment of the airport instead of pursuing an expansion involving civilian land.

The criticism comes against the backdrop of the NPP’s previous pledges concerning the release of lands under military occupation in the North and East. For many Tamils who supported the NPP on the expectation that such lands would be returned, the continued pressure surrounding land in Valikamam North raises concerns that the change of government has not necessarily translated into a change in the state’s approach to Tamil people’s concerns.

Gajendrakumar warned that proceeding with the proposed expansion could result in around 3,000 acres in Valikamam North being permanently lost by their civilian owners. He said Tamil people could support development work that had already been planned for Palaly airport, but that there could be no support for an expansion programme that would require the acquisition of additional land.

The MP urged residents to understand the government’s underlying objective, arguing that the airport’s development is being presented as justification for acquiring land rather than as a genuine effort to improve its existing infrastructure and services. He said the government should proceed with the development that can be undertaken using the funding already offered by India, rather than advancing an expansion that would further affect civilian landholdings.