Lieutenant JMJ Silva accomplished duties as officer in charge of the light Aid Detachment - of eme which was situated in a land belonging to the Gajaba Regimental in the year 1982. Racial riots flared up in 1983 in the aftermath of the brutal murder of 13 army soldiers by the LTTE outfit. The repair work to army vehicles in army camps though-out the Jaffna Peninsula was carried out by technicians attached from Colombo. After the eruption of racial riots, with the increase of Army Soldier Units in Jaffna, the EME requirements in keeping with the ever increasing army units could not be successfully addressed directly from the Base workshop in Colombo. In order to abate the situation a workshop was opened at the Palaly army camp.
The Directorate of EME was set up in the year 1983 at army headquarters. Lieutenant Colonel W.G Gunarathne was appointed as the first Director EME. A number of local workshops in order to serve provisional areas were opened. Up to this time such services were carried out only in the Base workshop Colombo. The minor assistance branch at Saliyapura was converted into a field workshop with 2nd lieutenant M.S.G Gunawardena assuming duties as first commanding officer. For the first time in 1984 the production of Armoured Personnel Carriers commenced at the Army Base Workshop in Colombo as the safety of army soldiers was of paramount importance.
On the concept put forward by Major Jayantha silva SLLI, the commander of the army Major General T.I Weerathunga entrusted the production of armourd personnel carriers to the SLEME Regiment this was a sensible move under taken with the view of providing security to groups of army soldiers from sudden attacks carried out by terrorists at that period of time. Following these instructions the first armoured vehicle by the name of "YAKA" was produced under the sponsorship of Major K.L. Rasaputram later on the “YAKA” Armoured vehicle was further developed to create the "unicorn" type. The unicorn armored vehicle was extremely useful in transporting groups of soldiers in the battle ground.
The Mattegoda training center was opened in the year 1985 precisely to train directly enlisted professional soldiers recruited to SLEME Regiment. The training instructors were the Regimental officers and other rank instructors.
Sixty four other directly enlisted recruits who received their training in this institute later join the respective units. While Major G.S.M Ranathunga was the chief instructor Lieutenant Padmadasa, 2nd Lieutenant D.R Mayadunne and 2nd Lieutenant Jayakody carried out duties as platoon Commanders. In addition a number of other officers such as (WO II Somadasa EA) Drill Instructor, platoon Sergeants, Chandrasena KG, Ranaweera SI, and Sergent Ariyawansha M.I also executed special duties.
However the EME immensely contributed to one of the major operations ever to take place in Sri Lanka against the tiger terrorists code named the Wadamarachchi operation on 26th May 1987 under the supervision Major K.L Rasaputhram. Two other officers, Lieutenant D.R. Mayadunne SLEME and Lieutenant PR Rathnaweera joined this operation backed by two EME light Aid Detachments.
A Field workshop commenced duties for the purpose of repairing Artillery Guns in close proximity to 4th Sri Lanka Artillery Camp at Army Cantonment Panagoda. The control and management of the workshop was entrusted to officer commanding,102 field workshop - Panagoda.
At that period of time, work was even carried out to repair 76 mm, 85 mm, 25 pounder artillery normally used by the Artillery Regiment. Colonel B Munasinghe who was the first Brigadier of SLEME was promoted to this Rank on 15th July 1988. Two buildings were built and completed in the year 1987 which were used as barracks. The Base Workshop was converted as a separate independent unit in December 1989. With the outbreak of anti-government riots by the year 1988 the maintenance of essential services was entrusted to the Sri Lanka Army.
Under this situation it became the added responsibility of the SLEME Regiment to operate railway security and through "Ops Mercy" operation to protect the Railway control room including all others properties belonging to the Railway Department. The entire operation was efficiently handled by Commanding Officers Colonel PC Pathiraja.
The Indo-Lanka accord which offered a solution to the North/East war conflict was signed in1988. A group of chauvinists known as the Peoples Liberation Front protesting against the government carried out a vehement campaign virtually disrupting the life's of the civilian population in the southern province. Although as a measure to solve the North/East conflict, the provincial council elections were held in 1988, the Peoples Liberation Front membership willfully sabotaged the election. Under this situation the government was compelled to solicit the assistance of the Sri Lanka army. Under such circumstances the officers and soldiers of the SLEME tightened the security build up in area such as, Galle, Baddegama, Emmbilipitiya, Battaramulla, Kaduwela and Wellampitiya enabling the holding of the election successfully.
The soldiers of SLEME were cast with the responsibility of affording security in areas such as Kandy, Menikhinna, Akurana and Galagedara, where the peoples Liberation Front's campaign was much more strong and violent in nature, during the 1989 General and presidential elections. The SLEME had to bring the situation under control and create an atmosphere where elections could be held peacefully.
In the year 1989 the Field workshop at Saliyapura was elevated to the status of a medium workshop. The duties earlier performed by the SLEME in areas such as Jaffna, Vauniya, Mannar, Mulative, Welioya, Trincomalee and Ampara were now transferred to this workshop. Depending on the projects under taken the Army was divided into distinct divisions almost in the year 1989.
Under this scheme of work Lieutenant Colonel GSM Ranathunga senior EME Officer was appointed as Commanding Officer of soldiers in Division Panagda, while Lieutenant Colonel K Piyasoma a senior EME officer assumed duties in the same capacity in 2 Div - Anuradhapura.
The River Valley Development Board was closed down on 31st March 1990. At that time the mechanical repairs and maintenance workshop which was to repair vehicles mobilized for the construction of the Udawalawe reservoir situated close to Ambilipitiya was in a state of complete neglect. On the intervention of the then Minister of Defense Ranjan Wijerathna the abandoned mechanical workshop was handed over to the Sri Lanka Army.
