The Defence Ministry has been successful in providing a continuous service to meet public expectations amid the Covid-19 pandemic and it should be carried forward while giving priority to healthcare guidelines to fulfill the duties and responsibilities diligently in this challenging situation, the Defence Secretary Gen. Kamal Gunaratne said while praising the efforts of Ministry staffers on January 3.
Gen. Gunaratne was speaking during a ceremony organised to usher the dawn of 2022 while giving prominence to religious proceedings in keeping with the long held traditions at the Ministry premises.
The Defence Secretary hoisted the national flag followed by the reciting of the national anthem and a moment of silence was observed as a mark of gratitude and remembrance to all those who made the supreme sacrifice towards ushering an era of peace and unity in the motherland.
All present at the ceremony also took the Government Servant’s Oath during the session.
As the effort of the last couple of years to realise the “Vistas of Prosperity”, the nation building policy statement of the President, we begin this year with new hope to make it more productive than previous years, he said.
Citing the current global state of economic and social crisis, he said the efforts of the Government led by the President, which is successful in facing the epidemic while administering the booster dose program as the country is pacing towards normalcy.
Recalling one of the great leaps forward in Sri Lankan history, the Defence Secretary thanked all those who were involved in the Sandahiru Seya construction, which was built as a tribute to the country’s security force veterans.
Speaking on the measures taken to enhance the welfare, especially the payment of salary and other financial benefits to differently-able members of the Security Forces and the Police and dependents of those killed in action and monthly allowance to the parents of unmarried war heroes after reaching the age of 55, Gen. Gunaratne expressed his happiness as a former member of the Security Forces and also as the Defence Secretary being able to make this a reality.
Preventive measures taken by the Ministry and institutes under its purview during the past two years has been able to contain the drug menace which had plagued the youth, he added and went on saying that it is undeniably a significant achievement that our national security and social safety has been further strengthened through actions taken to control the extremist groups and underworld gangs.
The Ven. Maha Sangha, Chairperson of Defence Ministry’s Seva Vanitha Unit Chithrani Gunaratne, senior ministry officials, senior Tri Forces and Police officers, heads of institutes under the Ministry’s purview and Ministry staffers were present on the occasion adhering to healthcare guidelines.