09th April 2023 23:29:42 Hours
Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage RWP RSP ndu, Commander of the Army and Colonel of the Regiment of Gajaba Regiment (GR), together with Mrs Janaki Liyanage, President, Army Seva Vanitha Unit (ASVU) who is also the Chairperson of GR Seva Vanitha Branch (GR-SVB) Friday (7) morning inaugurated the Gajaba Regiment Seva Vanitha New Year fair at GR Regimental Headquarters in Saliyapura.
The New Year fair, organized by GR-SVB ladies with the support of GR troops under the guidance of the Chairperson of the GR-SVB in consultation with Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage RWP RSP ndu had a wide variety of essential commodities, needed for the forthcoming Sinhala and Hindu New Year festival.
The fair included more than 25 stalls and consisted of vegetables, fruits, flower plants, food stalls and an air rifle shooting area for entertainment. Each stall was put up by each GR Battalion and the Regimental HQ.
The day's visitors, the Army Chief and the spouse were warmly welcomed by Brigadier H.T.W Vidyananda RWP RSP USP, GR Centre Commandant in the presence of Major General C.D Ranasinghe RWP RSP, Commander Security Forces - Wanni, Major General M.G.W.W.W.M.C.B Wickramasinghe RWP RSP ndu psc, Adjutant General and Major General S.B Amunugama RWP RSP ndu, General Officer Commanding, 22 Infantry Division at the entrance.
Moments later, the Army Chief marked the beginning of the three-day long New Year fair symbolically by cutting the ribbon in the innovated LED bulb (green light) production project stall after lighting the traditional oil lamp along with other distinguished visitors.
The GR Regimental Headquarter Battalion-launched low-cost green light LED bulb project, the bag-making project using water hyacinth and 'wetakeiya', and the military insignia-making project was accordingly opened by the Chief Guest at the venue. All those three innovative projects were initiated and carried out by battle-injured GR War Heroes under the guidance of the GR RHQ Battalion.
Afterwards, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage RWP RSP ndu and Mrs Janaki Liyanage visited each and every stall in the fair. Towards the end, both the Army Chief and his spouse joined refreshments at the poolside with all Officers and their family members.
Senior Officers, Officers, Other Ranks and their families visited the New Year fair.
