Defence Secretary's decision lauded

Tennakoon KULASEKERA

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa's decision to deploy the Security Forces to cater to the needs of the flood affected people and rehabilitate damaged tanks and anicuts will help the country's development and progress in great measure, said Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena.

He said this when he visited Anuradhapura to inspect the dams of Eruwewa and Kivulekada wewa which had been reinforced with sand bags by the Forces to safeguard the water retained by the wewas recently.

Minister Chandrasena said 95 percent of the Armed Forces personnel were children of rural parents.

As much as they sacrificed their lives to defeat terrorism and restore peace they had rendered another national service by coming forward to rescue people stranded my floods and safeguard the tanks built by late kings which were the lifeblood of the farmers.

This kind gesture should come in for praise from all quarters.