Minister Mervyn Silva donates bus to Kelaniya Vishnu Devalaya

A 52 seater bus was gifted to Public Relations and Public Affairs Minister Mervyn Silva by a person named G.W. Hector, who has maintained a Kali Amma Kovil in Anuradhapura, on Sunday. Minister Mervyn Silva accepting the gift said he would in turn donate the bus to the Kelaniya Vishnu Devalaya for the benefit of the people of Kelaniya.

Minister Mervyn Silva said any other person who received a bus like this would have utilized it to fill his own pockets by obtaining a route permit for it. But he has decided to hand it over to the Vishnu Devalaya for the benefit of people in Kelaniya.

If devotees visiting Kelaniya wanted to use the bus for pilgrimages the donor of the bus G.W. Hector was prepared to bear the cost of fuel used for such pilgrimages too. However, he hoped to established a separate fund to finance such pilgrimages soon.

Minister Silva also said the donor G.W. Hector recently donated Rs 150,000 towards the provision of meals and refreshments to pilgrims who visited Kelaniya to pay homage to the Sacred Kapilavastu Relics. The collection made at the Kali Amma Kovil in Anuradhapura was also used by him to cater to the welfare of people.

G.W. Hector said he had been maintaining the Kali Amma Kovil in Anuradhapura for the last 40 years but he had never sacrificed animals at the Kovil.