Deputy Minister of Defence Reviews Progress of War
Heroes' Welfare Committee
February 25, 2025
Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), chaired a key progress review meeting yesterday (Feb 24) at his office in Colombo. The discussion focused on evaluating the ongoing efforts of the committee dedicated to addressing the welfare and benefits of martyred and disabled war heroes' families.
As part of the decisions made in previous discussions, it was agreed to establish a dedicated call centre within the Ranaviru Sewa Authority, operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence. This initiative aims to provide accurate information and expedite the resolution of outstanding issues concerning retired, deceased, disabled, missing-in-action, lawfully resigned military personnel, as well as their widows and family members.
In addition, the Deputy Minister instructed the relevant officials to introduce a hotline for reporting existing concerns. He emphasized the need for a systematic approach to documenting and addressing these issues, ensuring prompt action and effective communication with affected individuals.
The senior committee, formed in December last year under the Deputy Minister’s directive, was established to provide efficient and timely solutions to longstanding concerns. It also seeks to systematically identify and address the long-term challenges faced by the families of martyred war heroes and veterans.
The progress review discussion was attended by the Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Additional Secretary (Defence) to the Ministry of Defence, along with the Chairman of the Ranaviru Sewa Authority, the Director of the Pension Department, Chiefs of Staff of the Tri-Forces, Directors from relevant Tri-Force divisions, Defence Ministry officials and a group of Tri-Force officers.
