CP Governor orders probe on longest saree incident

24 September 2017 05:47 pm

Central Province Governor Niluka Ekanayake had ordered a special probe into the incident in which 250 young schoolgirls were made to stand in hot sun to hold a 2.5 mile long bridal veil designed by a beautician in an attempt to get into a Guinness World Record as the longest sari.

These students of Sarath Ekanayake Junior School in Alawathugoda had been engaged from 2.30 at dawn to afternoon on Thursday (21) in an open ceremony of a wedding, to hold bride’s veil stretching for three miles along the Gannoruwa Road.

The Governor, who summoned the Principal and some teachers of the school, who assisted in deploying the students for this task, Secretary of the Central Province Education Ministry, Provincial Education Director, Katugastota Zonal Assistant Education Director to her office warned them of a special investigation on this matter.

Mrs. Ekanayake had expressed her displeasure to the Principal and the teaching staff of the little schoolgirls saying that it was a 'disgrace' to engage children to such task.

The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) on Friday launched an inquiry into the incident with immediate effect and the outcome of it was yet to be announced. (J.A.L. Jayasinghe)