The Police Department was planning to purchase 18 horses for the Police Mounted Division for Rs.50 million and currently tenders had been called from Australia, New Zealand and European countries.

Each thorough-bred horse that the police was planning to purchase would be around Rs.2.7 million, the police said.

The Police Mounted Division which was one of the most respected ceremonial arms of the country has around 40 horses but most of them were now believed to have surpassed the age required for active duty.

They were mostly used by the police for crowd control at large public events and providing ceremonial escorts at national events.

There were also plans to open a new veterinary laboratory for horses. It was also reported that the Division had recruited a permanent veterinary surgeon in the rank of reserve Assistant Superintendent of Police to do full time veterinary work.

However the police have already set up new stables at Nuwara Eliya and also at the Police Training Academy in Kalutara. The Mounted Division was also considering a proposal to open a horse riding school for the public and use the income generated by it to expand the Mounted Division. (Supun Dias)