31 houses handed over to war heroes completing “Api Wenuwen Api” 4th phase

Completing the fourth phase of the “Api Wenuwen Api” housing project launched by the Ministry of Defence, 31 houses were handed over among the war heroes and their families in Badulla and Hambantota districts under the patronage of Commander-In-Chief President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday, 25 June.

Inaugurating the function, President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared open the house built at Athiliwewa for war hero Corporal J.K. Vipula Kumara while the main function was held at the Athiliwewa primary school at Thelulla in Wellawaya, Moneragala district.

Ministry of Defence launched the “Api Wenuwen Api” housing project to construct 700 housing units island-wide for the war heroes and it is notable that, many Sri Lankans living here and abroad, showing their gesture towards our security forces, have contributed to the “Api Wenuwen Api” housing fund at the request of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The Api Wenuwen Api Fund was a concept of President Rajapaksa, and after years of hard work and dedication by Secretary Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the President’s brainchild now has become a tangible reality and so far succeeded in providing hundreds of houses to war heroes across the country while catering for many other social welfare matters of service personnel in the combined forces and Police.

The “Api Wenuwen Api” housing project was supervised by defence Ministry’s Seva Vanitha Unit under its leadership of Chairperson Ioma Rajapaksa.

Vice President of Defence Ministry’s Seva Vanitha Unit Indu Rathnayake said that this project will continue to build houses for war heroes covering all districts of the country. “So far 88 houses were given to service personnel in Kandy, Kurunegala, Matara and Hambantota districts in the first, second and third phase of the project”, she added.

“In the fourth phase of the project 28 army personnel, one navy sailor and two air force personnel received houses” she further said.

Governor of Uva Province Nanda Mathew, Ministers Nimal Siripala De Silva, Sumedha G. Jayasena, Luxman Seneviratna, Jagath Pushpakumara, Uva chief minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa, secretary to the president Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, parliamentarians representing Badulla and Moneragala districts, members of provincial council, additional secretaries and senior officials of the Ministry of Defence, senior officers of armed services and police, family members of war heroes who received houses and public of the area also participated at the event.