Defence Authorities Pore Over Key Reforms to Reinforce Welfare and Security Frameworks

Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) and Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) jointly took up a series of high-level sessions at the Deputy Minister’s office in Colombo on 28 October.

The initial deliberation dwelt on matters concerning the Widows and Orphans Pensions (W&OP) scheme for veterans and war heroes. Officials went over existing procedural constraints and laid out measures to speed up application and approval processes, ensuring that benefits reach out to recipients without delay.

Emphasizing empathy and accountability, the Deputy Minister urged on a humane approach to supporting families of fallen heroes, while the Defence Secretary called upon agencies to close in on coordination gaps and cut down on bureaucratic backlogs.

Subsequent sessions touched upon proposals to entrust Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Limited (RALL) with highway security operations and drew up fiscal strategies to address the Ministry’s resource limitations.

The series of discussions brought forth a unified vision to tighten up administrative efficiency, shore up national security measures, and stand by the defence fraternity through transparent and sustainable governance practices.