Long Overdue Housing &;amp; Disaster Relief Loans Are to be Provided without Delay

Due to personal intervention of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, a special programme was launched at Defence Services College auditorium, Colombo 2 Thursday (10) morning to award Housing Loans and Disaster Relief Loans to Army applicants who have applied to the Directorate of Welfare for such loans.

All officers and Other Ranks, entitled to seek Rs 3 lakhs as a Housing Loan and another sum of Rs 1 lakh as a Disaster Relief Loans from the Army Directorate of Welfare. However, applicants, numbering 409 Housing Loans and 1147 Disaster Relief and other loans, had to wait for more than two years in queue, due to insufficient funds the Army had for payment of those loans.

However, on the Commander’s directive, Army fixed deposits were withdrawn and a chunk of funds from the Army Welfare Fund were fused together, enabling payment of those loans to the applicants.

Accordingly, a total sum of Rs 10.6 billion was to be distributed among 669 loan applicants on a priority basis under the first Phase 1 of the project.

Thursday’s ceremony, headed by Major General Crishantha de Silva, Chief of Staff, on behalf of the Commander of the Army, gave away those loans to the first segment of 100 Army applicants, symbolizing the commencement of those long overdue loans.

Brigadier S.K.N.G Bandara Ehelamalpe, Director Welfare made the welcome speech.

Major General L.W.C.B.B Rajaguru, Major General E.K.J.K Wijayasiri, Major General A.M Perera and a large gathering of senior officers attended the event.