I Spent Rs.30 Million On Rathana Thera’s Temple: Gotabaya

November 30, 2014 

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa has stated that he spent Rs. 30 million to construct the JHU Parliamentarian venerable Athuraliye Rathana thera’s temple. However, the money he refers to as ‘his’ are the funds of the Urban Development Authority.

Delivering a speech at the opening of a 187 year-old building of the Sri Jayawardenapura Vidyalaya in Kotte which was renovated under the sponsorship of the Defense and Urban Development Ministry, Gotabaya had said that it cost him Rs. 30 million to transform the land located in Gothami Road, Borella into a beautiful temple.

“The land was given by the President and I carried out the land reclamation. It took us two years to complete the process. . . We however did it for the Buddha Shasana” he said while laughing. He furthermore states the constructions were carried out by personnel of the Civil Defense Force.

Meanwhile the renovations of the archaic school building that was handed over to the students by him at the event on Friday, had been carried out by Navy personnel.

It appeared like a petty attempt made to subtly get back at the JHU monk who was instrumental in influencing the other party members to take the decision to quit the UPFA coalition.

The JHU today announced they have decided to support common candidate Maithripala Sirisena at the upcoming elections and added they would be signing an MoU with him within the next couple of days.