Funds released to reconstruct St. Anthony’s Church, St. Sebastian’s Church and Zion Church

Under the direction of the Prime Minister as Minister of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development and Youth Affairs, necessary arrangements have been made on an urgent basis to reconstruct and rehabilitate the damaged churches namely St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya and Zion Church in Batticaloa respectively. 

Further, the Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to the Cabinet Memorandum submitted by the Prime Minister to reconstruct and rehabilitate the damaged churches by the Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Navy through the Ministry of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development and Youth Affairs and its Office for Reparations following the devastating and horrific suicide bomb attacks which caused significant damages to the sacred churches on Easter Sunday, 21 April.

In order to immediately reconstruct and rehabilitate the damaged churches, advance payments have been transferred from the Ministry of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development and Youth Affairs through its Office for Reparations to Sri Lanka Army in order to undertake the rehabilitation works at St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya and Zion Church in Batticaloa and for the Sri Lanka Navy to carryout reconstruction works at St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade. 

Accordingly, Rs. 10 million has been transferred as an initial advance payment to Sri Lanka Navy to reconstruct and rehabilitate St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade. In order to reconstruct and rehabilitate St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitya, Rs. 10 million has been released as an initial advance payment to the Sri Lanka Army while an initial advance of Rs. 5 million has been paid to Sri Lanka Army to rehabilitate and reconstruct the Zion Church in Batticaloa.