Tuesday, 22nd October 2013, Colombo: A giant state-of-the-art LED digital screen will be unveiled this Wednesday under the patronage of Parliamentary Speaker Hon. Chamal Rajapaksa. The LED screen which has been installed in the Jayanthipura visitors’ car park of the parliamentary complex will provide the opportunity to view an uninterrupted live coverage of the debates in parliament.
The LED screen which was set up based on the recommendation and guidance of the Hon. Speaker is powered by Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, which is committed to provide its technological expertise for this initiative.
The Hon. Speaker, Chamal Rajapaksa expressing his views said, “In the present day and age, technology is vital for everything including the efficient functioning of industries, services and practically every aspect of our lives, even domestic. The Mahinda Chinthana clearly states that one of our primary objectives is to enhance the scope and promote the development of information technology in the country. This initiative is one step towards this goal. There are a number of visitors to the parliamentary complex, who are compelled to remain in the premises until the parliamentary sessions are over. This newly installed LED screen will give them the opportunity to watch the sessions live and stay up-to-date with the latest developments. When this new concept was shared with Mobitel, they responded quite favourably and I must thank them for their support and commitment.”
The 20ft x 10ft giant screen is built on a permanent structure giving unedited coverage of the entire sessions in parliament. Unlike normal television coverage which usually carries short, edited versions of the parliamentary sittings, the LED screen will give viewers a broad understanding of how the sessions are conducted, the issues that are debated and the way in which questions are raised and are responded to.
Commenting on the new initiative Mobitel’s Chairman, Mr. Nimal Welgama said, “The government is committed to developing the communication and information technology sector for the future, and we at Mobitel are dedicated to making that a reality. We are more than pleased to support this initiative and provide our technological prowess to make this successful.”