Rehabilitation Commissioner General Maj. Gen. Darshana Hettiarachchi said that more than 12,000 cadres of the former LTTE and 8,000 drug addicts have been rehabilitated in the last 10 years.
He expressed these views at a media conference yesterday (3) at the Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Ministry auditorium to inform the public about the national role and goals of the Bureau of Rehabilitation under the Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Ministry.
Maj. Gen. Hettiarachchi also said that people undergoing rehabilitation due to drug addiction are given training to be socialized as good citizens. They are given training in professional courses, driving backhoes and bulldozers, and in the gem and jewellery trade. They receive certificates for these courses and they have the opportunity to apply for foreign jobs. Along with this, there are programmes for encouraging their artistic talents too. Three rehabilitation centres have been established in Vavuniya, Kandakadu and Senapura under the Bureau of Rehabilitation. Currently, more than 600 people are being rehabilitated at these centres. In the last 10 years, from 2013 to 2023, more than 8,000 people who were addicted to drugs have been rehabilitated.
The Rehabilitation Bureau Act No. 02 of 2023 will come into effect from next January. Accordingly, people who are addicted to drugs can voluntarily come and be rehabilitated. Until now, there were no programmes to rehabilitate women addicted to drugs. But under the new Act, the necessary provisions have been made to rehabilitate women drug addicts. Accordingly, the necessary facilities for that will be provided in the future.
The Commissioner General also stated that Justice, Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, State Minister Anuradha Jayaratne and the Secretary of the Ministry give maximum support to successfully carry out the work of this bureau.
Varuna Dayaratne and Nirmanee Igalahewage