More vehicles for Homeguards under Jathika Saviya

COLOMBO: The Jathika Saviya programme is planning to provide more pick-up trucks to Homeguard Divisions in remote areas and terrorist threatened areas.

Two more pick-up trucks were handed over yesterday to Polonnaruwa and Vavuniya Homeguard divisions, now formally known as the Civil Security Department (CCD).

President Mahinda Rajapaksa presided at the handing over ceremony, where the CCD Director General Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara presented the keys of the pick-up truck earmarked for Polonnaruwa to Ven. Ranawana Dhamminda Thera, Chief Incumbent of the Ethawetunawewa Viharaya, Weli Oya.

The Jathika Saviya programme has already provided more than 110 pick up trucks to the homeguard service in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.

The Jathika Saviya officials have focused their attention on a report in newspapers that a homeguard in Welioya who suddenly developed a heart ailment died as there was no vehicle to take him to a hospital.

Following this report, the Jathika Saviya decided to grant more pick-up trucks to homgeuards in such remote areas to facilitate their day-to-day work and for emergencies.

The Jathika Saviya, a concept of President Rajapaksa under the Mahinda Chinthana, has made vast strides in infrastructure development in the North-East while assuring security for the people.

It has now been extended to other areas in conjunction with the Gama Neguma programme, which envisages the development of 12,000 backward villages islandwide. The programme was formally inaugurated a couple of months ago.

A special training programme will also be implemented for Civil Security Department personnel at their Dambulla training school.

This will help them combat terrorism by deploying well trained and well equipped civil security personnel in villages, CCD sources said.

Fewer villagers are leaving for Southern areas from threatened villages as they are confident with the capabilities of civil security personnel.