Prison inmates recultivate fallow lands

Under the community service of Prison’s Department:

The programme to deploy prison inmates on community service for recultivating fallow lands undertaken by the Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services Development Ministry in collaboration with the Prisons Department is progressing well with a large number of fallow lands being brought under the plough in various parts of the country, said Agriculture Minister Maithripala Sirisena.

He said 60 inmates of the Mahara Prison have prepared 15 acres of fallow land in the Kirilla paddy tract in Gampaha district and were now busy replanting paddy under this programme where all agricultural implements and imputes are provided by the Agriculture Ministry.

A total of 180 acres of fallow land will be brought under the plough under this programme in Gampaha, Kalutara, Colombo, Polonnaruwa and Ratnapura district.

The harvest obtained from these cultivations will be retained by the respective prisons for the upkeep of its inmates.

The programme while helping the Prisons Department to implement its prisoner rehabilitation programme would a successfully effect a considerable saving on expenditure incurred in feeding the inmates.