Ground-breaking and cornerstone-laying ceremony of the Army’s proposed third wellness resort, ‘Abimansala - 3’ under the ‘Brave Hearts’ project of the Seva Vanitha Army Branch (SVAB) for 50 dependent War Heroes of the North Western Province, takes place on Tuesday (22) at Pangolla in Ibbagamuwa Divisional Secretariat area.Around 300 War Heroes, most of them in their prime youth, sustained multiple injuries during humanitarian operations and became totally disable or dependent. They are in need of 24-hour surveillance throughout the rest of their life-span, due to the gravity of their injuries, ranging from brain damage, spinal cord, total or partial paralysis, amputations, impaired vision, hearing, speech, etc, but non-availability of much-needed nursing care and other special therapeutic aids at domestic level, prompted the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya to initiate establishment of state-of-the-art special places of rest and relaxation for those veterans, in coordination with the SVAB’s ‘Brave Hearts’ fund-raising project, attaching prioritized importance to post-injury care of those disable defenders of the nation.
With ensuing overwhelming public support and able guidance and directions of both President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence and Urban Development, the Army, with the unfailing cooperation of the SVAB’s ‘Brave Hearts’ project, succeeded in establishing two of those resorts at Anuradhapura ‘Abimansala - 1’ and Kamburupitiya ‘Abimansala - 2’ in the past two years, in addition to Attidiya-based ‘Mihindu Seth Medura’, erected by the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development for the same purpose. All these three wellness resorts, providing necessary mental, physical and medical care for over 150 dependent War Heroes are now fully functional, creating new glimmers of hope for life under the management of the Sri Lanka Army.
Tuesday’s ground-breaking ceremony, headed by Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the Army and Mrs Manjulika Jayasuriya, President, SVAB who spearheads ‘Brave Hearts’ fund-raising, together with a host of donors, precedes religious observances and other rituals, to be conducted by members of the Maha Sangha.
The serene 10-acre state land, allotted exclusively to the Army Directorate of Welfare for this noble project borders Deduru Oya banks, overlooking the scenic Bathalagoda lake in Pangolla area is scheduled to house three residential cottages, eight villas, ward complex for 20 inmates, swimming pool, gymnasium, physiotherapy unit, medical wing, medical laboratory, library, indoor stadium, entertainment hall, auditorium, kitchen, herbal treatment, (Ayurveda) centre and a few more administrative units inside the complex. Each villa costs Rs. 6 million and a cottage Rs. 4.5 million as per estimates.
Patronizing donors and well-wishers, pledged to bear the cost of eight villas in the new proposed ‘Abimansala - 3’ at Pangolla include Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence and Urban Development (Villa No 1), Mas Holdings (Pvt) Ltd (Villa No 2), Sri Lanka Insurance (Villa No 3), Singer (Pvt) Ltd (Villa No 4), Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel (Pvt) Company (Villa No 5), Wickremaratne Company (Pvt) Ltd (Villa No 6), Commercial Bank (Villa No 7) and Sri Lanka Artillery Regiment and Sri Lanka Artillery Seva Vanitha Unit (Villa No 8).
Abans (Pvt) Ltd, Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna and Sri Lanka Army Service Corps and Sri Lanka Army Service Corps Seva Vanitha Unit have undertaken the sponsorship for construction of all three cottages in the new project. The entire project is estimated to cost about Rs 360 million upon completion.
