New cars for ASPs

Rafik Jalaldeen

Hundred cars valued at Rs.23.8 million were handed over by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday to Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP) at the Defence Ministry yesterday.

Addressing the function, IGP Jayantha Wickramaratne said Police department received 100 cars for the ASPs after 26 years.

"With the fullest effort of Defence Secretary Rajapaksa under the President's advice these cars had been released to the police department," he added.

IGP Wickramaratne noted that the vehicles used by police officers were in a bad condition and providing new cars will avoid expenses on repairs.

"In the first phase of providing vehicles for police officers 100 cars had been released from the Defence Ministry for ASPs," he added.

He pointed out that the Police Department needed 980 vehicles and when President Mahinda Rajapaksa took office this requirement was fulfilled gradually.

In the first phase, the President provided 580 vehicles to the STF and the Police Department.

"During the SAARC summit in Colombo more vehicles had been released for security purposes to the Police Department. Now 100 more cars were released to the ASPs," he added.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Air Marshal Donald Perera handed over car keys to the ASPs.