News
Over 50% of Lankan prisoners sentenced for drug charges, return for same reason – Minister
ECONOMYNEXT –Half of Sri Lanka’s prisoners have been put behind bars for drug charges, State Minister for Justice and Prison Anuradha Jayarathne said.
The total number of suspects and accused in prisons across the country is currently at 28,468. Out of this, 50.3 percent of the prisoners account for drug-related charges, Jayarathne told a media briefing on Thursday (10) in Colombo.
“After the court sentence is over, these inmates go back to the environment they used to. So over and over again they tend to be jailed for drug related offenses” Jayarathne said.
Sri Lanka has 55 prisons including open and closed jails.The highest number of drug inmates are in the Western and Southern provinces, the official data showed.The focus is currently on putting them into a program that combines skills and repetition to prevent drug activities,” Jayarathne said.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted their concurrence to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Youth Affairs to appoint S. Achchudan of Special Grade of Sri Lanka Administrative Service, who is currently serving as an Additional Commissioner of Elections at the Elections Commission who is
recommended by the panel of interviewers to the post of Director General of the Sports Development Department with effect form 01.01.2026.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal furnished by the Minister of Environment to publish the draft bill of the National Environment (Amended) Act in the government gazette notification and subsequently to submit the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Buddhism, Religious, and Cultural Affairs to provide tax relief on imported dates received as donations or gift for Ramadan.
This year’s Ramadan fasting season is scheduled to begin on 19-02-2026 and end on 21-03-2026.
S. Achchudan appointed as Director General of the Sports Development Department.
Amendment of the National Environment Act No. 47 of 1980
Tax relief for Dates received as donations or gifts for Ramadan
Cabinet nod to establish the Sri Lanka Industrial Transformation and innovation Authority
Temporary employment of Sri Lankan labour in the State of Israel
Cabinet approves liquidation of Sahasya Investment Company
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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