National plan to protect heritage sites

Asela Kuruluwansa and Nihal Jayawardene

KANDY: The National Heritage Ministry will launch a special programme to create awareness about the country's national heritage among schoolchildren in collaboration with the Education Ministry, Minister Anura Bandaranaike said.

Bandaranaike said this when he called on the Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera at the Malwatte Maha Viharaya, Kandy to receive his blessings on Sunday.

Today's schoolchildren had a very meagre knowledge about National Heritage. They knew only about Sigiriya, the Sri Dalada Maligawa and Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa and few other places as regards heritage sites.

Bandaranaike said his Ministry would draw up a national plan for the protection of national heritage with the assistance of a consultative committee headed by the Most Venerable Malwatte and Asgiriya prelates.

This vital responsibility had been requested by all past governments. Funding could be obtained from countries such as India, Thailand, China and Japan for Sri Lanka's Archaeological conservation work.

Bandaranaike said his Ministry is a very important Ministry. In most countries the National Heritage Ministry occupied the third important place next to the President and the Prime Minister.

Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera said certain archaeological buildings could not be conserved in time due to the inordinate delay involved in obtaining the necessary sanction from the Archaeological Department.

As a result some buildings have decayed beyond repair by the time Department sanction was obtained.

The Maha Sangha would never condone the destruction of archaeological buildings. Excavations and conservation work should be undertaken simultaneously, he said. The Most Ven. Mahanayake Thera said certain World Heritage sites have not been proclaimed as national heritage sites.

There were instances where certain unscrupulous persons have started renovating certain world heritage sites disregarding the relevant laws and regulations.

He said certain businessmen were engaged in putting up buildings in Kandy town in an unsystematic manner and action taken by the Municipal Council in this regard was most unsatisfactory.

Bandaranaike also visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa and paid homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic. He was accompanied by Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela Bandara.