30th April 2023 06:45:28 Hours
Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka, Chief of Staff to the President and Senior Advisor to the President on National Security, Hon. Douglas Devananda, Minister of Fisheries, Hon. Anupa Pasqual, State Minister of Social Empowerment, together with Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage RWP RSP ndu Commander of the Army visited the Jaffna peninsula to distribute relief rice packs among needy families living in Jaffna on Friday (28).
This programme was launched in parallel with the government's relief distribution of rice packs among island-wide low-income families which was implemented on the instructions of HE The President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Under this programme, each family receives 10 kg of rice per month. Initially, the rice subsidy was intended for 2 million families, but it was later expanded to 2.9 million families as per the directives of the President. Furthermore, the free rice distribution will take place in other districts too in due course.
The Sri Lanka Army Corps of Agriculture & Livestock (SLACAL) on the instructions of the Commander of the Army donated 10,000 kg of rice from the SLACAL - managed farms to the mammoth project for distribution among Jaffna-based families.
Accordingly, two separate simple ceremonies were held at the Divisional Secretariats in Velani and Thelippalai where those rice packs were symbolically distributed by Mr Sagala Rathnayake with other distinguished guests on the occasion.
Afterwards, the Commander of the Army with those visitors visited the Army-released lands in Mailaddy, Jaffna and saw the progress of resettlement in those lands released in February this year.
Mr A Shivabalasundaran, District Secretary for Jaffna District, Major General D.B.S.N Bothota RWP RSP VSV USP psc, Commander Security Forces- Jaffna, Senior State Officials and civilians participated in those events.
