DEAD SOLDIER\'S FAMILY MOVES INTO NEW HOUSE AT SAMPATHNUWARA
17 Sri Lanka National Guard (SLNG) troops of the 62 Division of the Security Force Headquarters - Wanni (SFHQ-W), thanks to the voluntary patronage, extended by the ‘Aarya Foundation’ and the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA), completed the construction of a new house for a fellow-soldier of the 5 SLNG who died of a heart attack at Sampathnuwara while serving the 5 SLNG Headquarters in Thanthirimalai in 2014 and vested it in the family on Wednesday (25) during a simple ceremony.\r\n\r\nIn December last year, a leading newspaper in a photo-captioned story, revealed that a widow of an Army soldier with her four-member family, was found living in an abandoned old bunker with her children in one corner of an own land with no help forthcoming to them for construction of a house to lead a decent life. \r\n\r\nCommander of the Army, Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva, having spotted the said newspaper story, promptly instructed relative area commanders in the Wanni to look into the need as early as possible and explore possibilities of helping the desperate family. \r\n\r\nActing fast, Major General B.H.M.A Wijesinghe, General Officer Commanding, 62 Division of the SFHQ-W with the blessings of the Wanni Commander, inquired into their plight and found that the said dilapidated bunker, was also situated inside an 80-perch land plot, inherited to the family from the late soldier’s parents in Sampathnuwara area. \r\n\r\nHowever, following initiatives of the 62 Division, 17 SLNG troops on the directions of the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 62 Division, Major General B.H.M.A Wijesinghe laid the cornerstone for construction of the new house for the family on 8 December 2016 after the NHDA also assured a monetary donation to begin with. Similarly, the deceased’s own unit, 5 SLNG soldiers lent their assistance to the project and carried out ground preparations for the erection and the subsequent landscaping. \r\n\r\nIn the meantime, the Aarya Foundation, having learnt the plight of this family and the timely need, sponsored the supply of cement, sand, metal, iron and other raw materials, needed for the speedy construction at Sampathnuwara, Ethawetunuwewa. \r\n\r\nThe day’s Chief Guest for the opening Major General Ruwan Kulathunga, Commander, Security Forces - Wanni at the invitation of Major General B.H.M.A Wijesinghe, GOC, 62 Division attended the house warming ceremony, amidst Buddhist religious blessings as the auspicious minute struck. \r\n\r\nTo coincide with the successful completion of the project, the SLNG Colonel of the Regiment Major General Piyal Wickramaratne and his 5 SLNG troops on the same occasion provided a water tank, pipe fittings, a stock of dry rations, pieces of furniture, school accessories and other essential household requirements, including several gift sets to the bereaved family as the house-warming ceremony was on.\r\n\r\nRepresenting the Colonel of the Regiment, SLNG, Brigadier DHMWB Thammita, SLNG Centre Commandant attended the house-warming ceremony on Wednesday (25).\r\n\r\n5 SLNG and 17 SLNG troops together with family members planted coconut and mango saplings in the garden and made it more attractive before the opening of the house.\r\n\r\nIn addition, the Commanding Officer, 17 SLNG and officers of the Battalion also offered a cash donation of Rs 12,000/= to the elder daughter of the dead soldier in the family to be used as fees for an English course she was intending to follow after she completed the Ordinary Level examination.
