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A society empowered by heroes 

26 Aug 2021

  • Shaping the role of the Army beyond their responsibility 
BY Manohari Katugampala Being the frontline of defence of the motherland, the Sri Lanka Army plays a vital role in the country’s territorial integrity, sustainable development, and the security of the mother nation beyond what’s expected. The connectivity of heroes with multi-faceted capabilities is legendary and runs back to Sri Lankan history. In fulfilling its responsibility for the betterment of the country’s citizens, it illustrated a crystal clear picture since early March last year, where the military took on the responsibility of the tasks to manage the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The military, in co-ordination with the health authorities, is still fighting against the pandemic to date, without taking a step back even for a second, knowing the validity of each breath and how precious it is. This valiant nature and volume of the work they perform elaborate how high their ability and valour are with regard to any situation. Their skillfulness, behaviour, and ability to get risky things done, in addition to performing multi-tasking operations to date, is already acclaimed by the nation. Apart from the abovementioned duties, the Army assists in disaster relief, thwarting contraband smuggling, warding off the drug menace, maintaining law and order, conducting search and rescue operations during any catastrophes, etc., mirroring exceptional service through thick and thin.  While handling every devastating situation with a positive mindset and to their fullest, the engineer troops of the Army have undertaken some rural school development projects by giving the innocent students new hope and giving life to their deprived educational dreams. Subsequently, they have contributed to restructuring the remote schools in the country by entrusting them a new life with new hope to learn, play on their land, and get shade from a new roof in their school.  This huge community project commenced and was entrusted to the Army with the President’s Gama Samaga Pilisandarak (Dialogue with the Village) programme where the rural places in the country sought the assistance of the Army for the renovation and repair of remote schools, rural roads, and tank constructions. Under these mega projects, the pillar of the Army who always guides the troops in their relentless path, is the Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander General Shavendra Silva along with Chief Field Engineer of the Army Major General Nihal Amarasekara, General Commanding Officer of the Engineer Division Major General Chandana Wijesundera, Commander of the Plant Engineer Brigade Brigadier Anuruddha Seneviratne, Commander of the General Engineer Brigade Brigadier Asanka Perera, and Commander of the Field Engineer Brigade Brigadier Dumindu Jayasinghe. While the story began from renovating and reconstructing the school playgrounds, during the past eight months of this year, the Army has been able to complete and hand over more than 30 playgrounds to rural schools across the island. This heavy mission is performed by the Engineer Division troops of the Army.  Under the project, the school playgrounds at the Kumarathenna Vidyalaya in the Haldummulla Village, Thorawelikanda Vidyalaya in Ratnapura, the Hevassa Primary School, the Yatipana Primary School, the Ranepuragoda Primary School, the Gulanawatte Primary School in Kalutara, the Rathabalagama School, the Aluthwewa Primary School, the Pitadeniya Primary School in Monaragala, the Poddenikanda Maha Vidyalaya in Kegalle, the Kaikawala Primary School in Kandy, the Madawachchiya Maha Vidyalaya, the Kantale Agbopura Maha Vidyalaya in Trincomalee, the Pahala Giribawa Maha Vidyalaya, the Saliya Ashoka Navodya Vidyalaya, the Pothanegama Vijaya Vidyalaya, the Maradankadawala Vidyalaya, the Thambuttegama Primary School in Kurunegala, the Bogaswewa Vidyalaya in Vavuniya, the Welimada Central College, the Hingurakgoda Rajarata Vidyalaya, Anuradhapura Central College, the Medagama National School, the Hambegamuwa Secondary School, Kotawehera Mankada Maha Vidyalaya, and Kalubovitiyana Vidyalaya in Matara have received school playgrounds as a result of construction assistance from our dedicated war heroes.   Not only did they not stop at renovating the school infrastructures, but they also widened several road paths in several rural villages from Batahena to Millagahawatta, Kalawana Main Road, and more other road paths under the Government’s 100,000 kilometres road development scheme as advised by the Presidential Secretariat. Furthermore, the Engineer Division troops, hand in hand with the Agrarian Development Department of Kurunegala under the “Prosperity in Irrigation” scheme, are currently putting the finishing touches to the renovation of the Weeraketiya Tank, Galgamuwa in the Kurunegala District. Making a significant development in the country’s irrigation sector, army engineers, with their technical knowledge and construction expertise, are carrying out many irrigational development projects islandwide. The renovation of four tanks, namely, the Sahana Wewa, Hansavila, Kambili New, and the Veteran Wewa in the Mahaweli L Zone in Weli Oya, under the 200 tanks renovation project, are among them.  The Army’s efforts never stop, as another 12 more construction projects are assigned to the Army and are ready to be commenced shortly, thereby leading to the fulfilment of another thousand dreams of the country’s people. The military’s unfailing commitment to national infrastructure development and community welfare services is a guiding light to the future generation and will continue forever in the same vein. (The writer is a journalist attached to the Army’s Directorate of Media. She is also an English teacher)


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