Pirivena robes cost Rs. 50 million

by S.M. Wijayaratne Kurunegala Cor.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed the Educational Services Minister Duminda Dissanayake to visit all pirivenas in the island and look for possible solutions to the problems that are faced by novice monks who presently study at these pirivenas.

There are 750 pirivenas throughout the country and around 62,000 novice monks study at these pirivenas. Government spends a sum of 50 million rupees annually for offering robes to them and that facility is not enough.

All possible facilities have to be provided to these novice monks to be virtuous intellectuals who are capable of propagating the noblest teachings of the Buddha world over in the future.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa wishes to develop pirivenas in the coming years, said Duminda Dissanayake, the Minister of Educational Services speaking at a conference of Zonal Directors of Education and Pirivena heads held recently in Wariyapola, Kurunegala.