Over 475 jeeps for Police stations

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

The Defence Ministry will provide all police stations with vehicles since many police stations have been badly affected by a severe shortage of vehicles for official duties.

Under this initiative, 475 jeeps will be handed over to 475 police stations covering the entire country. Under the first phase of the programme, of the 475 jeeps 137 were handed over to OICs of the respective police stations under the patronage of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at the Defence Ministry yesterday.

Priority has been given to the provincial police stations. The jeeps have been imported from India by the Defence Ministry under a soft loan facility granted by India.

The remaining jeeps will also be handed over to other police stations in due course.

The provision of these vehicles will overcome the problem faced by many police stations, a senior police officer said. In addition to the jeeps, the police stations will be provided cabs, buses, trucks and water bowsers.

Accordingly, 50 cabs, 55 buses, 50 trucks and a few water bowsers are to be purchased for the use of police stations with immediate effect, the official added.