Deputy Minister lauds Tri Star Chairman

"THE government is going ahead with its program of building permanent houses for the tsunami victims. It is a praiseworthy effort by employers like Tri Star Chairman Deshabandu Kumar Dewapura to come forward to assist their fellow employees affected by the tsunami tidal waves", said Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries, Chamal Rajapakse.

The Deputy Minister was speaking at the opening ceremony of Tri Star Model Village at Lunugama, Ambalantota where the families of eight employees affected by tsunami were resettled in new houses and the ownership was also vested in them free of charge.

Each house elegantly designed with a floor area of 650 square feet is complete with electricity, water supply and attached toilets.

The construction of these eight houses by Tri Star is the first phase of its program of constructing 58 houses for Group's employees at Balapitiya and Ambalangoda factories whose houses were destroyed by the tsunami.

The Company is awaiting green light from the UDA to construct houses for 48 employees of the Balapitiya factory for which an MoU has already been signed.

These are the first few houses to be completed and given to the displaced in the Hambantota district. Mr. Dewapura's effort is an example for other employers, Deputy Minister Chamal Rajapakse added.

This Company looks after its employees well and it is the employees' duty to work hard and develop business of the Company they work for, the Deputy Minister said.

Tri Star Group Chairman, Deshabandu Kumar Dewapura speaking on the occasion said, "Tri Star considers its employees its biggest asset in making the Company one of the largest garment manufacturing enterprises in the country.

"It is because of this policy that a host of welfare measures have been put in place for them and assistance given whenever employees faced problems and distress.

It was this policy which made the employees stand by the Company in good and bad times.

Dewapura recalled the time when the Group's Balapitiya factory went under five feet of water after the tidal waves. The 500 employees were faced with losing their employment.

My first task was to secure the employments of these 500 workers, he said.