Places of religious worship in Matara to receive facelift for 9th Deyata Kirula

Text and pix by P.D. De Silva
All places of religious worship including includes 562 Buddhist temples in the Matara District will be given a facelift for the 9th Deyata Kirula Development Exhibition which is to be held in Matara.

Addressing representatives of the Maha Sanga who attended the weekly progress review meeting chaired by Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development Dullas Alahapperuma at the District Secretariat Matara yesterday (22), Ven Getamanne Gunananda Thera requested all chief incumbent priests to submit details of their requirement through their respective regional Shasansa Arakshaka Balamandalayas and a decision would be taken as what work should be given preference.
The Thera also said that of the 562 Buddhist temples, 61 were of archaeological value and some were in need of urgent restoration.
Of the 516 Sunday schools associated with these temples, 147 had been given Rs. 150,000 each and the remaining 369 will be allocated the same amount of which Rs. 100,000 was for the construction or renovation of buildings and Rs. 50,000 was for the purchase of equipment.
A request was made that the roadways leading to places of religious worship be repaired in addition to the development work being carried out for the 2015 Deyata Kirula.
Although funds were to be allocated for the development of all places of religious worship of all the main religions in the district, they were not represented yesterday (22).

Work on new Administrative Complex in Kotawila to start next week By P.D. De Silva Work on the new Administrative Complex being built at a cost of Rs. 300 million at Kotawila is scheduled to commence next week. This revelation was made at the weekly progress review of the 9th Deyata Kirula Development Exhibition held at the District Secretariat yesterday. The architect’s sketch of the Administrative Complex was revealed at the meeting and the Sri Lanka Navy will carry out the first phase which is to cost Rs. 50 million. Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development Dullas Alahapperuma who presided over the meeting said that it was imperative that all Government ministries and departments and all private sector organisations associated with the 9th Deyata Kirula Development Exhibition be represented by senior officials. He instructed the Secretary to the Ministry of Information and Technology Gotabhaya Jayarathna to make a written request to all concerned in this regard. These remarks were made as some Government institutions were not represented at all or represented by junior officers. “There is no time to waste. There is so much to be accomplished within the next six months,” he said. Minister of Agric-ulture Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Deputy Minister of Post Sanath Jayasuriya, Provincial Ministers Chandima Rasa-puthra and Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Mayor Sosindra Handunge and many Government officials were present.