PM commends Buddhasasana Minister

Agreeing to allocate money to repair the Girihanduseya, the first stupa in the world, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday commended the Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife and Minister of Buddhasasana Gamini Jayawickrama Perera for his commitment to upholding Buddhism in the country.

The Prime Minister drew parallels between Minister Perera and Anathapindika, who was a wealthy merchant and banker believed to have been one of the wealthiest traders during the time of Savatthi atthe Gautama Buddha. 

“The Government will provide the money necessary to build the Maha Seya. I will assign our minister who is doing the biggest service to Buddhism after Anatha Pindika,” said the Prime Minister, responding to a supplementary question by UNP MP Sydney Jayaratne highlighting the condition of the Girihaduseya in Trincomalee.

According to Minister Perera, the surveying and demarcation of the Girihaduseya site has not yet been completed by the Urban Development Authority. “The UDA is responsible for declaring Girihaduseya a sacred site. Once the UDA declares the ancient temple a sacred site, the Ministry of Buddhasasana can allocate funds for its development. Most of the ancient and important temples have been taken under the purview of the UDA. The UDA could do so with regard to the temples in urban areas. When temples are situated in remote areas placed under the UDA, those sites are rendered helpless,” said Minister Perera.

However, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Champika Ranawaka said that there had been a misunderstanding that the UDA was responsible for surveying the Girihaduseya. 

“It is actually done by the National Physical Planning Department, not by the UDA. Both the UDA and the NPPD are headed by a single person. That was the reason for the misunderstanding,” said Minister Ranawaka.  (AH)