PM tells CCF officials:

'Expedite conservation activities'

Chaminda PERERA

Prime Minister D M Jayaratne yesterday directed the Central Cultural Fund officials to expedite conservation activities being carried out by the Fund. He gave instructions to the Central Cultural Fund's Director General Prof. Nimal Priya De Silva that the conservation activities in the vicinity of Ruwanweli Cetiya should be streamlined.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa being received by Prime Minister D M Jayaratne at the Prime Minister’s office. Picture by Chaminda Hittatiya

The Prime Minister was speaking at the 181st meeting of the Central Cultural Fund's Board of Governors at the Prime Minister's office yesterday.

The PM said that officials involved in conservation activities should be given tasks and targets to be completed within a time frame.

Prime Minister Jayaratne ordered the officials to table a full report on the conservation activities being carried out by the Fund at archaeological sites islandwide at the next meeting of the Central Cultural Fund's Board of Governors.

The Prime Minister added that he received a number of complaints that conservation work at archaeological sites are being carried out at a slow pace.

He expressed dismay over the delay in conservation activities in archaeological sites at a time when the technology has rapidly advanced. Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa stressed the importance of upgrading infrastructure facilities in places of archeological and religious importance for the benefit of local and foreign tourists visiting such places.

Minister Rajapaksa added that there should be a mechanism to sell replicas of places of archaeological or religious importance to tourists visiting such places.

He focused on a special mechanism through which more tourists can be attracted to places of archaeological and religious interest islandwide. It was decided at the meeting that the replica producing centre at Bataliya should be developed as a tourist attraction.

This centre is managed by the Central Cultural Fund. Cultural Affairs Minister T B Ekanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister S Amarasekera and Cultural Affairs Ministry Secretary Wimal Rubasinghe were also present.