The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved the establishment of a trust to manage the Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre, formalising the governance structure for the 11-storey India-built facility before its handover to local authorities.
The trust resolution was tabled by the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. The Attorney General has cleared the draft trust deed.
The cultural centre, comprising 11 floors, was constructed with assistance from the Government of India to serve as a hub for cultural activities and to expand bilateral cooperation on the promotion, preservation and fostering of the cultural heritage of Jaffna. It is named for Thiruvalluvar, the classical Tamil poet-philosopher whose Tirukkural is one of the foundational texts of Tamil literature.
Under the original Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two governments, the cultural centre is to be transferred to the Jaffna Municipal Council through the Government of Sri Lanka once construction is complete. A Joint Management Committee was earlier appointed under Cabinet approval dated February 21, 2022 to oversee affairs of the centre on an interim basis.
The parties have since agreed that a trust is the more appropriate structure for ongoing management once the transfer occurs. Monday’s Cabinet decision approves the establishment of that trust.
The decision was one of three surfaced via The Island after the weekly post-Cabinet briefing was cancelled — alongside amendments to the Animals Act and the State Mortgage and Investment Bank Law. India’s Mullaitivu hospital ward gift and bilateral activity have featured in other May coverage.
