President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday (9) inspected the land belonging to the Millewa Estate in Horana, where the prison complex in Borella is to be relocated.
The need to relocate the prison has long existed due to dilapidated buildings, overcrowding and other external factors.
The prison complex and its current status was shown in a video presentation. Prison Management and Prisoners Rehabilitation State Minister Lohan Ratwatte briefed the President on the developments.
A 200-acre tract of land from the Millewa Estate belonging to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) has been allocated to construct the new prison complex.
The Welikada Prison, Colombo Remand Prison, New Magazine Prison, Prison Hospital, Training School, Prison Intelligence Unit and the Department of Community Based Correctional Centres are to be constructed in the proposed premises.
Urban Development State Minister Nalaka Godahewa said that special attention has been paid to the welfare of prisoners in the proposed prison complex.
The President also inspected the proposed sites for the construction of the Prison Hospital, Training School and the Intelligence Unit.
The President met the residents in the Estate and inquired into their well-being during the inspection.
He instructed the officials to take immediate action to provide compensation including houses for loss of properties due to constructions. Ministers Ali Sabry, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, State Ministers Vidura Wickramanayaka, Jayantha Samaraweera, Piyal Nishantha, Parliamentarians Lalith Ellawala, Sanjeewa Edirimanna, Anupa Pasqual, Secretaries to the Ministries and Government Officials were also present.