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Northern CM opposes using soldiers for development projects

27 June 2018 05:16 pm - 33     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The government's decision to deploy army personnel to reconstruct abandoned tanks in Vavuniya was opposed by the Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran and other Tamil MPs when this matter was discussed at Tuesday's Vavuniya District Development Committee meeting.

The meeting was presided by Industries and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen with the participation of Deputy Minister Kader Masthan, Mr. Wigneswaran, TNA MPs, provincial councillors, Vavuniya GA Somaratne Widanapathirana and security officials.

The minister said the government had approved Cabinet memo seeking the assistance of the army in the reconstruction of abandoned tanks in Vavuniya.

MP Sivashakthi Anandan said the army should not be used for this purpose as their duties were not relevant to this type of work and instead the assistance of the Rural Development Committees should be sought. This opinion was supported by the CM who said the army should not get involved in development activities.

But however the Sinhala Pradeshiya Sabah members objecting said using Rural Development Committee members could cause delays and commissions and bribes were bound to take place. They said by deploying the army the value for the money spent would increase and the work would be completed in double quick time. (Romesh Madushanka)


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  Comments - 33

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  • Cobra Wednesday, 27 June 2018 05:37 PM

    Does he want to resurrect the LTTE to do the job?

    Borat Wednesday, 27 June 2018 05:55 PM

    Please don’t hold old grudges. They are the most efficient set up to accomplish tasks undertaken without wasting tins and shirking responsibilities. Please stop griping all the time it is not healthy to move forward

    Ceylon Thursday, 28 June 2018 02:57 PM

    Read coments here,comentators are blaming not to soldiers for but government for making solduers as construction wirkers.they paid fir ti be stand by for to kill,not to do cleaning wirks abd cinstruction works.not the writers here but government is insulting these soldiers.

    Stan Wednesday, 27 June 2018 06:00 PM

    There's nothing wrong as long as the soldiers themselves have no issue with working there.

    Bala Wednesday, 27 June 2018 06:12 PM

    There is an issue - the commissions to the PC and PS members will not be there if the army does the work.

    Machan Wednesday, 27 June 2018 08:37 PM

    Thank you Mr Bala.

    Ceylon Thursday, 28 June 2018 05:53 PM

    Did you ask from these helpless soldiers???.hiw you say tgey like to do cleaning and constrution works which they are not trained fir and taking works withiut pay.this is nit sunami time,not flood situation.

    Ceylon Wednesday, 27 June 2018 06:15 PM

    Soldiers are recruited,trained and employed to kill.not for any other work.dont insult these dedicated killers for any other work.its insult for military.

    Dp Wednesday, 27 June 2018 08:50 PM

    Terrorist are trained only to kill. A soldier is trained to protect themselves ,others and protect the country from domestic terrorism and foreign invasion s.they are also called in when natural disasters and man made disasters. To put back peoples lives to normalcy. Ceylon...is referring to a terrorist as its the only soldier he knows.

    Haramanis Wednesday, 27 June 2018 09:31 PM

    Mr Ceylon. Yes the army killed the most perverted and worst killer of all time - Prabhakaran. However they are not killers. The showed kindness and sympathy for the human shield hostages held by LTTE.

    kamalhot1 Thursday, 28 June 2018 02:11 PM

    SOLDIER Stands for Save Our Land During Internal External Revolutions

    Graham Wednesday, 27 June 2018 06:17 PM

    Yes yes our soldiers are not recognized in the Tamil Ealam which was passed on to CM through underhand by yahapalana politicos

    Machan Wednesday, 27 June 2018 06:19 PM

    Yes. Results of his development projects bearing fruit at chk points at home and in Tamil nadu. Soldiers will only slow it down. So we should listen to this gentleman.

    Nilame Wednesday, 27 June 2018 06:22 PM

    Army being used on construction work islandwide and there is no issue on their capability for finishing the task,the only reason this fellow opposing would be,he can’t survive without spreading racism because that is his lifeblood.

    punchinilame Wednesday, 27 June 2018 06:22 PM

    What about the loss of casual employment to the residents of the very poorest part of Sri Lanka - what is the cost of labour that they will miss for good?

    Ceylon Thursday, 28 June 2018 05:51 PM

    Government using slave labour from army.army not paid for these cleaning and construction works which they are not trained for.also ileagal to use their labour without pay.

    WTF Wednesday, 27 June 2018 06:31 PM

    Do we have no intelligent leaders in SL at all?

    Mike Wednesday, 27 June 2018 06:46 PM

    You will later complain to the international community stating that the government doesn't help.

    Wise Donkey Wednesday, 27 June 2018 07:02 PM

    What harm? Now they are building houses and road ways etc..................otherwise they will be idling until some problem starts. Let's live in peace and let them also do some useful work for the salary they draw.

    vithura Wednesday, 27 June 2018 09:12 PM

    You have brought out the real issue here that is these are men who are not 'productively' employed but being paid. However, the answer does not lie in engaging them in civilian matters, constitutionally armed forces are meant for the defence of the country and to be deployed in any exceptional circumstances such as in a natural disaster, but they have no role in civilian work.

    Don Wednesday, 27 June 2018 08:05 PM

    CM CVW is insane, time to send him to Mulleriyawa.

    S.P.RAMKUMAR Wednesday, 27 June 2018 08:09 PM

    IF ARMY DOING CIVILIANS JOB THEN HOW CAN CIVILIANS EARN, NORTHERN CM IS 100% CORRECT.

    sam Wednesday, 27 June 2018 08:35 PM

    No doubt Vigneshwaran and his Henchmen (Tamil MP S ) must be looking for commissions, if ARMY do the job those opportunistic politicians cannot enjoy Bribes and Commissions as they get from private contractors that is the reason Vineshwaran, Sivashakthi Anandan and other Tamil MPS don't want ARMY to do this development work. what a shame Vigneshwaran and his henchmen, you guys are talking like the only saviours of Innocent Tamil people in the Northern Part but behind the scene trying hard to pile up money through development projects.deceiving your own people.

    suresh Thursday, 28 June 2018 03:45 PM

    then why don't you hand over all civilian work to army in the south also

    Tamil Wednesday, 27 June 2018 08:57 PM

    Wigneswaran has to be fired, has he forgotten he lives in Sri Lanka and the soldiers can be used to do development work. Why wont he kick his in laws out of his house they are Sinhalease too.

    Dharmista Wednesday, 27 June 2018 09:08 PM

    One way out, is to acquire the tank bed including the bund area and hand over to army for development. Release after completion or release water through canals and allow to take any farmers who like to use. You need always military solutions to deal with stubborn civilians. Let the fellows to complain to Norway, Canada, UK, EU and that cesspit UNHRC. Who cares?

    laksiri Wednesday, 27 June 2018 09:12 PM

    this chief minister is very bad man ,people must remove this dirty man from this post if they want to do development works in north province. look event in USA army engineering carry out such development works in the state level and make thinks happen, this nature of animal holding public office in the country make more difficulty to do any development works and this man is blocking every thinks.

    Kanagasabapathy Wednesday, 27 June 2018 09:50 PM

    "Sinhala Pradeshiya Sabah members objecting said using Rural Development Committee members could cause delays and commissions and bribes were bound to take place. They said by deploying the army the value for the money spent would increase and the work would be completed in double quick time"Absolutely correct also it will leave anti social activities of politicians at bay.

    Sheri Wednesday, 27 June 2018 10:07 PM

    He is opposing a decision made by the government - does this man and his hencemen own the north?

    concerned Thursday, 28 June 2018 03:35 PM

    what does he care as long as the job is done does it matter who did it

    santhosh Thursday, 28 June 2018 03:50 PM

    deploying army for civil work is just an excuse to prolong the presence of army in the North

    senthil Thursday, 28 June 2018 03:51 PM

    then why not deploy the army to clean up the garbage in Colombo city

    Ceylon Thursday, 28 June 2018 05:42 PM

    Only wigneswaran is talking on behalf of the rights of army soldiers.hepless soldiers are using as cleaners,construction workers for free.they pay for sldiers duty,not for cleaners or labourers duty.government make them slaves and north have no jobs,soldiers are now labourers.


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