In addition to the government’s effort to provide houses and other basic necessities for the disabled soldiers, similar measures are also being taken at provincial and district level.

The National Housing Development Authority (NHDA), with assistance from the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council, is in the process of constructing houses for the disabled soldiers in the Ratnapura and Kegalle districts.

The construction work will be undertaken by the Ocean View Development firm.

The Kegalle District office of the Housing Development Authority said that it had commenced building 24 houses at the initial stage.

A house built at a cost of Rs. 450,000 at Beragala in the Kegalle District was handed over to Corporal Attapattu on November 9 by the Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Maheepala Herath. The soldier, who was badly wounded in battle, lived in a wattle and daub hut. The new house given to him is valued at about Rs. 800,000.

At the handing over ceremony of the house to the disabled soldier, Chief Minister Herath said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was very keen on providing houses and other amenities for the security forces personnel. He was able to end the three decades of war within three years. As the President of this country he took the correct decision bravely to defeat terrorism, the CM said.

The Chief Minister said, when the terrorist conflict was on, he had to go to villages to attend funerals of dead soldiers. The President succeeded in putting an end to such unfortunate ordeals and now he was doing his utmost to help the Security Forces personnel.

Senior Advisor to the President, Professor Jagath Balasuriya, Executive Director, Sri Lanka Civil Aviation Authority, Kanaka Herath, Kegalle district secretary Mrs. Prema Dissanayake, Urban Council member Rasika Perera and PS member Gaman Pathirana also attended the ceremony.