President Ranil Wickremesinghe has condemned the arrest and fining of pilgrims traveling to sacred sites such as the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu in Mannar and Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak). Speaking at the Mannar District Development Committee meeting on Sunday, Wickremesinghe said that imposing fines, particularly the Rs 300,000 recently levied on Madhu Church, is unjust.

He instructed that any future arrests of pilgrims should be reported immediately to the President’s Office. Additionally, Wickremesinghe directed the Sri Lanka Army to clean and improve the roads leading to these sites for the convenience of the pilgrims. He called for a collaborative effort involving the Diocese of Mannar, Forest Conservation Department, Road Development Authority, Sri Lanka Police, and the Army to ensure these tasks are completed ahead of the upcoming festival at the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu.

The President assured that necessary facilities would be provided to pilgrims to ensure they can practice their activities without any hindrance and announced plans to restore development in the Mannar district, starting this year.