President opens Media Development Centre today

The Media Development Centre at the Government Information Department premises in keeping with the Mahinda Chinthana Forward Vision policy and concept of providing facilities for the media, will be declared open by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at 10 am today on the invitation of Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and acting Mass Media and Information Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena.

Government Information Director General Prof Ariyaratne Athugala said concurrent to the opening ceremony, arrangements have been made to honour 10 veteran media persons, with felicitation awards.

These media personalities who had rendered a pioneering service towards the welfare and progress of the media and cinema sectors will receive awards from President Rajapaksa. These award winners had dedicated their lives to the creative and qualitative development of the media sector by engaging in various forms of research on communication and media subjects.

Prof. Athugala said the new five storeyed Media Development Centre was built at a cost of Rs 374 million.

It consists of a fully equipped auditorium, a research library, two study halls, a computer unit, a government film unit museum, and a studio with

facilities for the production of audio visual programmes.

He said the new Media Development Centre will have the opportunity to provide a fruitful service to the people by improving the knowledge and talents of media persons providing them with facilities to engage in research studies.

Prof Athugala said several other Ministers, Parliamentarians, Heads of Media Institutions, media persons and representatives of media organizations will attend today's ceremony.