News
High fees, no facilities at Sigiriya
The World Heritage Site of Sigiriya is becoming very inaccessible due to the lack of development and maintenance.
According to Chairman, Dambulla Paradeshiya Sabha, KG Somathilake, the new town of Sigiriya has not yet legally been handed over to the local council for maintenance; he says the facilities could be maintained once it is handed over.
Around 500 foreign tourists and 1,000 local tourists visit the area at present. A local tourist is charged Rs100 and a foreign tourist USD30 by the Central Cultural Fund.
Mr Somathilake said that even though the Central Cultural Fund charged a large fee for Sigiriya, no part of this is given to the Pradeshiya Sabha.
When contacted, the Central Cultural Fund – Sigiriya Project Manager, Upul Shantha said that arrangements were being made to hand over the administration of the new town to the Dambulla Paradeshiya Sabha.
The Chief Incumbent of Sigiriya Temple, Pubbiliye Dammananda Thero claimed that the Central Cultural Fund only charges tourists for everything but does not fulfill any other obligations.
Residents in the area raised their concerns that the new town of Sigiriya has become a lonely hell, putting local and foreign tourists under severe pressure. They pointed out that the World Heritage Site is now in a shameful state, and due to stray dogs in the new town local and foreign tourists could not visit the place peacefully.
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