The Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs will conduct a national census on Buddhist temples and other places of worship in the country and their assets and properties. Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka has instructed his Ministry officials to conduct the census in the near future.
Kurunegala district Senior Divisional Secretary, Administration, R.M. Jayaratne said the census will gather information with the consent of the Mahanayaka Theras of all Chapters and top dignitaries of other religions. He told a meeting of Sunday Dhamma school heads of the Kurunegala district that there are certain issues regarding the sources as to how and from whom they receive donations and charity funds and the administrative work of these leading religious places of worship that are now functioning in the country.
He said there are no proper records with the Ministry about the number of elephants and tuskers that these temples own.
Based on the facts and information collected, the Government hopes to assist the religious places in remote areas of the island financially to continue their spiritual development of devotees who are not economically sound and to contribute to developing the temples, churches, kovils and mosques, he added.