Disabled war heroes welfare just an eye wash under Gotabhaya

Sri Lanka’s welfare facilities for disabled war heroes and their families have not been carried out at a satisfactory level although the previous Rajapaksa regime is still boasting about the assistance extended to them, official documents revealed. ‘

The political propaganda machinery of the Rajapaksas' have misled the masses by highlighting a few facilities provided to disabled soldiers and their families thereby fooling the public.

There were three main institutions called Sri Lanka Ranawiru Authority, National Defence Fund and Api Wenuawen Api Fund under the Ministry of Defence overseen by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as its secretary.

These institutions were established with the main aim of providing welfare facilities to the deceased and disabled war heroes and their family members.

Details of how the money was spent for this purpose from theses funds have now come to light with documentary proof.

The cash balances amounting to Rs 997 million and Rs 1,116 million had remained in the National Defence Fund and Api Wenuawen Api Fund as at 31 December 2017.

However, the National Defence Fund had engaged only on providing benefits for the children of the officers of armed forces who passed the Grade 05 Scholarships examination during the period from 2013 to 2017.

The activities of the Api Wenuwen Api had been confined only to award housing loans for the Ranawiru families.

Furthermore, the Ranawiru Seva Authority is required to prepare a list of deceased officers in action and their family members and maintain continuously in updated manner in terms of the Section 06 of the Ranawiru Seva Authority Act, No 54 of 1999.

However, such a completed record had not been prepared and maintained even as at 31 December 2017.

For that purpose, 269 Ranawiru Societies had been established and a sum of Rs 12.98 million had been spent as at 31 December 2017.