Government to take over Ridiyagama Rehabilitation Centre

The Government is to take over the Ridiyagama Rehabilitation Centre from the Southern Provincial Council.

The Ridiyagama Rehabilitation Centre in Ambalantota was established in 1975 under the Department of Social Services and in 1990, it was assigned to the Social Affairs Division of the Southern Provincial Council.

There are currently 576 inmates in the centre which has been built to house around 450 inmates only.

Based on the orders given by the court, inmates from different parts of the island are detained at the Ridiyagama Rehabilitation Centre.

The Cabinet has decided to manage the centre under the Central Government as a national level centre instead of being controlled by the Southern Provincial Council.

As such, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a combined proposal presented by the
President in his capacity as the Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment and the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms to assign the Ridiyagama Rehabilitation Centre to the Department of Social Services. (Colombo Gazette)