Jaffna Fort to be renovated

Dharma Sri ABEYRATNE and Priyanka KURUGALA

The Jaffna Fort will be renovated by the National Heritage and Cultural Affairs Ministry, Minister Pavithra Wanniarchchi said.

The building which is known as Queen’s House and the Roman Catholic church were seriously damaged by terrorist activities during the past.

The constructions and buildings which had been used by security personnel for over hundreds of years were damaged due to terrorism.

The Ministry will construct and renovate these damaged buildings so as to release them to their original glory.

The construction work will be carried out with the assistance of the Government of Netherlands. Netherlands has allocated Rs. 104.5 million for the renovations, the Ministry sources said.

The Jaffna Fort was constructed by Portuguese about 1619AD. However in 1650 the Jaffna Fort was invaded by the Dutch and they have completed the construction as a real fort. The British had also entered in the fort by 1780. After several modifications from then onward the English used it as an administrative centre and a security base for forces. The Jaffna Fort has a long history and therefore it is considered as national heritage.

When it comes to the near future Jaffna Fort is significant even for the liberation operations, Minister Wanniarachchi added.