MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN
COLOMBO: The 74th Independence Day of Sri Lankan will be celebrated in a grand manner in all parts of the island.
The state’s Independence Day celebrations are being held at Independence Square in Colombo under the theme ‘Prosperous Motherland Overcoming Challenges’.
Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris has extended invitations to all diplomats, including Ambassadors and High Commissioners for the celebrations.
Irrigation Minister and State Minister of Home Affairs, National Defence and Disaster Management Chamal Rajapaksa has invited the local guests for the occasion .
Prof. Kapila Gunawardena, Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs was entrusted with the task of recommending places of worship and times of Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Catholic and Christian religious observances to coincide with Independence Day.bvi
Accordingly, the Islamic celebrations will be held at the Grand Mosque in Colombo, followed by the traditional observances at the Peer Saibp Jumma Masjid in Colombo 12.
A project to plant 500,000 saplings is also being implemented to coincide with the Independence Day celebrations.
The Prime Minister also emphasized that only those who have been fully vaccinated in accordance with proper health practices should participate in the festivities, the Prime Minister’s Media Division said.
Independence Day rehearsals took place from 7 AM to 2 PM daily from 29th January to 3rd February and the 74th Independence Day celebrations will take place from 6 AM on the 4th of February, Sri Lanka Police said.
Accordingly, several roads around Independence Square were closed due to the rehearsals, and vehicular movement on several roads in Colombo were restricted for rehearsals and the Independence Day celebration, the Police Headquarters said.
Streets and houses were decorated with the country’s national flag to give a flavor to the celebration,
Presidential pardon will be granted to 197 prison inmates on the independence day, said the Prisons Spokesman.
As per the instructions of General Officer Commanding 55InfDiv, Brigadier MKUP Gunaratne RSP ndu psc IG, Brigadier RP Munipura RWP RSP Comd 552 Inf Bde organized the blood donation campaign at 552 Inf Bde HQ premises.
According to a request made by Regional Blood Centre located at Teaching Hospital Jaffna and along with 74th National Independence Day celebrations, this programme was initiated in order to fulfill the timely urgent requirement of different types of blood categories, platelets and fresh plasma with the ongoing Corona pandemic.
10 Officers and 114 soldiers participated from all under command Battalions of 552 and 553 Infantry Brigades, voluntarily made their contribution to donate blood in order to fulfill the low stock of blood at Jaffna Hospital.
A medical team from Teaching Hospital Jaffna together with the medical staff of Advanced Dressing Station 552 Infantry Brigade conducted this blood donation campaign.
