Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya during a visit he undertook to the Security Forces Headquarters, East (SFHQ-E) at Welikanda on Friday (6) thanked the troops for their timely assistance, extended to recent flood victims in Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa districts.
The visiting Commander of the Army as Chief Guest on the occasion opened the newly-built main archway at the entrance to the SFHQ-E, at the invitation of Major General M.H.S.B Perera, Commander, SFHQ-E after the Army Chief was given a rousing welcome with a Guard Turnout plus a Guard of Honour, accorded by 6 Sri Lanka Armoured Corps troops.
Before Lieutenant General Jayasuriya met with the Commander, SFHQ-E at his office and a cross section of the troops serving the SFHQ-E, the Commander symbolized his visit to the location by planting a tree sapling in the complex at the invitation of the Commander, SFHQ-E.
During his address to the troops, the Commander commented on the controversial Darusman Report, through which deliberate attempts were made to tarnish the image of the Sri Lankan Security Forces.
“I perused the copy of the Darusman Report and found most of those allegations were based on mere hearsay and irrational assumptions. In my capacity as Wanni Commander during that stage of the Humanitarian Operations, I knew very well what was going on in the battlefield as well as in the enemy’s territory, and how our heroic forces fought the enemy with courage. This Report constitutes a deliberate move to tarnish the image of HE the President, Secretary Defence, Government and the tri-services. The Army is in the process of responding to those allegations with precision,” Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya said.
He further told the troops that tireless roles played by the troops during recent floods came in for praise of the President, Secretary Defence and the general public, considering the gravity of the natural disaster. Giving a note of caution, the Army Chief asked his soldiers to maintain the highest levels of discipline since it always mirrors the qualities of a true soldier. “If you do not maintain discipline, that will affect the Army image and the organization thereby is brought to ridicule,” he added.
Lieutenant General Jayasuriya during his address elaborated on the string of welfare activities, being implemented in the organization for the benefit of all soldiers. The Army has increased facilities in connection with purchase of lands, houses, motorcycles, three-wheelers, electric appliances, etc for other ranks, in addition to various schemes that support their house constructions, completion of houses, restoration of houses, etc. He also referred to various projects, being launched by the Seva Vanitha Army Branch for the same purposes.
Lieutenant General Jayasuriya appealed the soldiers to back the government’s drive for cultivation of vegetables, etc as that would improve economy standards of each and every soldier.
At the same occasion, the Commander reminded the gathering of the proposed construction of adequate camp requirements for soldiers in all areas. He also during his address did not fail to mention the services of the Defence Services College at Colombo and the ‘Abimansala’ project at Anuradhapura, now in progress on behalf of permanently disable War Heroes.
Towards the latter part of the itinerary, the Commander visited the metal quarry site in the area, owned and managed by the Army. This is the only site which provides metal requirements for road development in the whole of the eastern province. The Commander during his pause at the site shared a couple of views with the Army personnel working in the quarry and the crushing site.
Meanwhile, Mrs Manjulika Jayasuriya, President, Seva Vanitha Army Branch (SVAB), on the sidelines of the Commander’s official commitments, took time off to visit the ‘Viru Kekulu’ pre-school at Hingurakgoda, managed by the SVAB.
Mrs Jayasuriya held a round of discussions with pre-school managers and teaches at the venue before she concluded the programme.
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