National Independence Day Festival in Trincomalee

The government officially decided to hold the 65th National Independence Day Festival in Trincomalee.

This was disclosed when the National Independence Day Festival Organising Committee functioning under the chairmanship of Prime Minister D M Jayaratne met at the Prime Minister's Office yesterday. The Committee on the instructions of the Prime Minister is headed by Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister W D J Seneviratne.

Minister Seneviratne said on the direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the government decided to hold the 65th National Independence Day Festival in Trincomalee.

Anticipating the cooperation of all public institutions to celebrate the event successfully, the minister instructed officials to perform responsibilities of their institutions under the direct supervision of their Heads and instructed relevant parties to carry out the infrastructure development work including roads, water supply and electricity in Trincomalee before the end of the year.

The minister instructed officials to provide facilities, particularly to people in the Northern and Eastern areas, to witness the event and accord priority to activities that would demonstrate national integrity.

Minister Seneviratne stressed the need to engage more schoolchildren of Northern and Eastern areas in the cultural pageant of the National Independence Day celebrations.

Cultural Affairs Minister T B Ekanayake, Eastern Province Chief Minister Abdul Majeed, Deputy Ministers Wijaya Dahanayake and Susantha Punchinilame, Prime Minister's Secretary S Amarasekera, Public Administration Ministry Secretary P B Abeykoon, Army Commander Lt General Jagath Jayasooriya, Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs Ministry Secretary M K B Dissanayake, Eastern Province Chief Secretary D M S Abeygunwardene, Trincomalee District Secretary Major General T T Ranjit de Silva and a large number of officers participated.