Seventeenth batch of recipients:

Interest free housing loans for war heroes

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa handing over a cheque of an interest free housing loan to a recipient war hero. Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilake, Defence Ministry Seva Vanitha Unit chairperson Ayoma Rajapakasa and Defence Ministry Additional Secretary R M I Ratnayake are also in the picture. Picture by Thushara Fernando

The Defence Ministry yesterday, granted interest free housing loans to the 17th batch of war heroes who were rendered differently abled during operations to eliminate terrorism from Sri Lanka.

Under the welfare program organized by the Seva Vanitha Unit of the Defence Ministry by its Chairperson Ayoma Rajapaksa, under the directions of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, 54 war heroes were granted housing loans at a ceremony held at the Defence Ministry Auditorium. The housing loan recipients include the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police.

The housing loans were granted to 32 personnel of the Army, eight from the Navy, four from the Air Force and ten from the Police.

Additional Secretary to the Defence Ministry, R M I Ratnayake, addressing the participants at the occasion, said the Defence Ministry was always keen on providing welfare to the war heroes rendered differently abled on the directions of the Secretary. He said that the Seva Vanitha Unit of the Defence Ministry was conducting many welfare programs and the family members of the war heroes who had sacrificed their lives for the motherland as scholarships, self employment programs, etc.

She said the Seva Vanitha Unit has granted interest free housing loans on 16 occassions which were successful. The recipients have a period of ten years to settle their loan. As they pay their installments, the Defence Ministry could take measures to provide more welfare to others. Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilake, Secretary to the Defence Fund RMS Ratnayake, Chairperson of the Defence Ministry Seva Vanitha Unit Ayoma Rajapaksa, Chairperson of the Army Seva Vanitha Unit Manjulika Fernando, Chairperson of Air Force Seva Vanitha Unit Neelika Abeywickrama, Chairperson of the Navy Seva Vanitha Unit Niluka Dissanayake, Chairperson of Police Seva Vanitha Unit Asha Balasooriya and Nelun Goonetilake were present on the occasion.