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National cultural symbols in Parliament earmarked for preservation
Twenty categories of architectural, artistic, and decorative elements in Parliament have been earmarked for special preservation efforts as national cultural symbols, Parliament sources said.
This extensive list includes iconic elements such as the Parliament building itself, the revered Mace, the Silver Door, the Copper Door, the Lion Gate, the Bar of the House, 18 Brass Flags, Cluster Lamps, the Ceiling of the chamber, the Ceiling in front of the Copper Door, 18 Ceremonial Flags, Line Arts, the Wooden Mural at the Members Entrance, Murals in staff entrance, Paintings in the guest lobby, Paintings in the private dining room of Members, Portrait Gallery at Second Floor, Photo Gallery, and other important photos/images at the ground floor, along with Antiques in the showroom.
The initiative to initiate a preservation programme for these valuable architectural elements within the Parliament complex saw its preliminary discussion in the House last week with Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena presiding over the discussions.
The primary objectives of the programme include safeguarding these structures as enduring cultural symbols, preserving their copyrights while acknowledging their creators, and protecting their architectural and artistic values from destruction, sources said.
The meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of National Archives, Department of National Museums, Central Cultural Fund, Department of Archeology, National Council of Arts, Department of Government Information, Ena de Silva Trust Fund, Geoffrey Bawa Trust Fund, National Crafts Council, Sri Lanka Handicraft Board, and the University of Visual and Performing Arts.
Minister of Transport and Highways and Mass Media Bandula Gunawardena, State Minister for Small and Medium Enterprise Development Prasanna Ranaweera, Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne, and Serjeant-at-Arms Narendra Fernando were also present.
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“Improve the quality of infrastructure and services provided to tourists visiting the country.” – President
President Anura Kumara Disanayake emphasized the necessity of providing high-quality infrastructure and services for tourists visiting Sri Lanka, as the country has gained significant international recognition as an attractive tourist destination.
Accordingly, the President instructed officials to pay special attention to this matter and take necessary actions.
President Disanayake issued these instructions during a discussion held today (17) at the Presidential Secretariat with officials from the Ministry of Tourism.
During the discussion, officials briefed the President on the budgetary allocations designated for the Ministry of Tourism and the projects being implemented under those funds.
With the tourism sector taking a new step forward, Sri Lanka aims to attract three million tourists this year. The discussion also extensively covered the utilization of these budgetary allocations for the development of essential infrastructure to support this goal.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Foreign Employment Vijitha Herath, Deputy Minister of Tourism Dr. Ruwan Ranasinghe, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Aruni Ranaraja, along with a group of senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism, attended this discussion.
The French Navy Ship PROVENCE arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on Sunday (16 Mar 25) morning.
She was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in compliance with the time-honoured naval traditions.
The 142.20m long Destroyer is Commanded by Captain Lionel SIEGFRIED and manned by a crew of 160 members.
During the stay in the island, crew members of PROVENCE will visit some tourist hotspots in the country and the ship is scheduled to depart the island on 20 Mar.
The Court of Appeal this [17] morning dismissed the writ petition filed by former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon, seeking an interim injunction to prevent the execution of the arrest order issued by the Matara Magistrate’s Court against him.
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