The Commissioner General of Prisons Major General (Retd) Vajira Wijegunawardena, has requested the Government for an additional 300 acres of idle land in the Polonnaruwa district to be cultivated by prisoners under the ‘Api Wavamu –Rata Nagamu’ programme.

This follows the successful cultivation of 125 acres of idle land in Gampaha, Watareka and Boralesgamuwa by prisoners.

This new move by the Commissioner General will make the prisoners adopt a positive attitude in contributing to the progress of the country and change the attitude of society towards the prisoners, Prison Welfare society sources said yesterday

The Prisoners had successfully harvested over a hundred bushels of paddy from each of the 125 acres cultivated under a pilot project, prison sources said yesterday.