A meeting between Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and a group of Hindu priests representing the upcountry region was held this morning (09) at the Presidential Secretariat.
During the meeting, extensive discussions were held on the issues faced by Upcountry Hindu priests and their requirements.
Attention was also drawn to matters relating to the administration of Hindu temples in the Upcountry areas, the maintenance of Hindu religious schools, the needs of priests, as well as issues concerning temple lands and places of religious worship.
Discussions were also held on programmes planned to be implemented in the future by the Up-Country Hindu Priests’ Association and the possibility of obtaining government assistance for these programmes.
The measures taken by the Government to address the needs of the people living in areas where Up-Country Hindu priests reside were also discussed.
Religious leaders of the Hindu Priests’ Association representing all districts, including its Secretary General Dr. Shiva Sri Velu Suresh Sharma Kurukkal, were present at the meeting. Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage; Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Gunadasa Samarasinghe; Additional Secretary (Development) to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media K.P. Yogachandra; Additional Secretary (Administration and Police) to the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs M.S.P. Sooriyapperuma; Chairman of the Land Reform Commission R.K. Nihal; Director of the Department of Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs Y. Aniruththanan; and several other government officials also participated in the meeting.
