Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, Nov. 18 (Daily Mirror) – The Chief Incumbent of the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in Trincomalee, Venerable Kalyanawansa Tissa Thera, has filed a writ petition before the Court of Appeal seeking an order to prevent the demolition of a section of the temple premises.

The petition names the Director General of the Coastal Conservation Department, the Secretary to the Ministry of Environment and the Minister of Environment as respondents.

According to the petition, the temple was officially registered in 1951 under the Amarapura Nikaya in accordance with the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance. It further noted that on June 6, 2014, then President Mahinda Rajapaksa granted a valid deed to the temple during the tenure of Venerable Mahinda Wansama Tissa Thera, who served as the chief incumbent at the time.

The petitioner also states that the Trincomalee Municipal Council previously issued a letter indicating it had no objection to the development of the land bearing No. 57/TG, which belongs to the Viharaya.

Venerable Kalyanawansa Tissa Thera maintains that any attempt to demolish part of the temple premises is unlawful and seeks a court order to prevent such action.