Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed a 5 -member expert committee to investigate the demolition of a building with archaeological value in Kurunegala.
The committee was appointed on the advice of the Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana and Cultural Affairs to investigate the incident and will be headed by Director-General of Archaeology Professor Senarath Dissanayake.
The other members consist of Secretary to the Kurunegala District R. M. R. Ratnayake, Archaeologist T. G. Kulatunga, Archaeologist and Additional Director of the Ministry of Buddhasasana and Cultural Affairs Prasad Ranasinghe and Director of the Central Cultural Fund Sumedha Mathota.
The Mayor of Kurunegal together with officials from the Urban Development Authority (UDA) is charged with bulldozing the entire building today for a road development project.
Director-General of Archaeology Professor Senarath Dissanayake said the Department of Archaeology had filed a complaint with the Kurunegala Police on the demolition of a part of the Court on 06 July.
The Department of Archaeology had filed another complaint with the Kurunegala Police after the building was bulldozed today.
As the Kurunegala Police had disregarded both complaints, the Department of Archaeology had informed the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) both in writing and verbally on the incident.
The 13th Century King’s Court (dating back to the Kurunegala / Yapahuwa Kingdom Era) had fallen under the supervision of the Department of Archaeology. (Newswire)
