18,000 soldiers to go back to their regiments; no more labourer jobs
Nearly 18,000 soldiers who were deployed to work on development projects under the former Ministry of Defence and Urban Development will go back to their regiments soon. This is in keeping with the pledge made in the election manifesto of President Maithripala Sirisena who promised to stop the employment of military personnel in occupations that undermine their dignity.
The previous government had deployed around 18,000 military personnel to work in most of its development projects, with many of them working as labourers.
Deputy Urban Development Minister Dinesh Gankanda said the objective was to ensure that their jobs were protected and their services were not used for labour work as during the previous government.
He said only soldiers required for skilled work such as technicians would be retained in projects and the others would go back to their units.
‘The Race Course development project has been completed, but a Brigadier, a Major and 70 soldiers are stationed there. We don’t need such a large number,” he said.
(Sunday Times)
Latest Headlines in Sri Lanka
- Colombo hit by 12-hour water cut today for emergency maintenance May 25, 2025
- New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters arrives in Sri Lanka May 25, 2025
- Duminda Dissanayake remanded until May 29 over gold-plated T56 firearm May 24, 2025
- Sri Lanka probing use of Rs. 22 Trillion obtained through loans May 24, 2025
- Sri Lankan PM assures no land will be taken from people in North and East May 24, 2025
Most certainly this ploy to grab votes will come back to haunt you. You are are the one invented the ‘insulting’ , ‘dignity’ problem to get their votes. What is wrong with people receving public money for the salary doing development work for the country, if there is no more war to fight, but to maintain a large army is necessay for some more years to come for the same reason Indian courts approved maintaining the ban on LTTE by Indian government? Soundbites may get votes. But the reality after that may be different. What are thousands of these people going to be doing in there regiments now?
This is absolutely stupid . Do the current regime think before they act. What is wrong with doing some work for the money the soldiers earn. Seems like we have a limitless amounts of money to give away. This is something like giving women who get pregnant RS 20,000. This is done in countries that have population crisis where the country needs more people.