Undertaking responsibility for another mega project of unprecedented magnitude, the Army is to shortly inaugurate a new ‘Resource Centre’ for all disable War Heroes at Hendala in order to provide them with vocational training as part of their rehabilitation process.
The state of the art new vocational training centre to be housed in the old Leprosy Hospital precincts with more than 13 buildings, is to be a reality, thanks to a concept, mooted by Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa who proposed the Army to take charge of this unused complex and convert it to be of some use to disable War Heroes.
On Wednesday (31), Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the Army made a surprise visit to the complex and had a thorough look around it to find how the Army’s Engineer Service Regiment (ESR) troops were engaged in ongoing renovation and construction work at a cost of about Rs. 35 million.
The new ‘Resource Centre’ for disable War Heroes under rehabilitation is expected to train them in community oriented vocations, skilled labour vocations, masonry, carpentry, motor mechanism, welding, lathe work, pottery, agriculture, technology, electric work, electronics, etc under the supervision of the Army Directorate of Rehabilitation, headed by Major General R.V Samaratunge who was also present Wednesday (31) morning when the Army Commander called at the complex.
It is to be equipped with a gymnasium, swimming pool and all other much-needed accessories for rehabilitation.
The entire project, to be modelled to suit the most modern technological innovations is to be fully themed on a nature-friendly environment with lush greenery, rich with varieties of vegetables to suit the popular ‘home grown’ concepts. The entire complex is to be landscaped by Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR) using their professional know-how and expertise.
Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the mastermind behind planning of this mega welfare project for the benefit of some 300 plus disable War Heroes who are to be housed there for vocational training, expects to eventually open this complex for training of youngsters in civil society too after the project gets fully functional.
The famous Leprosy Hospital, built during the times of colonial masters, gradually fell vacant as Sri Lanka as one of the firsts in the whole of South Asia, succeeded in eradicating the disease from our soil many years ago. Since then, those buildings and wards remained dilapidated until Ministry of Defence took them over some time ago.
The Army, with the highest number of disable soldiers, has only one fully-equipped rehabilitation centre at Ragama. After the one at Hendala is completed, the Army will have facilities to accommodate 300 more rehabilitees and train them for various vocation and income generating professions.
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