Sri Lankan minister pledges more benefits for military personnel

Sri Lanka's State Minister of Defence said his government would provide welfare benefits for military personnel, at a ceremony at a Buddhist temple on Tuesday.
Ruwan Wijewardene was speaking at the launch of a book on Sri Lankan soldiers, where he told the audience that troops would be “honoured eternally”.
The official Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence website quoted the minister as saying that “with the guidance of the President Maithripala Sirisena” he would be “always working to assist and to provide welfare benefits for the military personnel”.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena stated soldiers would receive government allowances for life, alongside a recently announced privilege card scheme with special benefits including scholarships, discounts on products and services and priority services of other facilities.
The current Sri Lankan government has also continued an existing scheme that grants soldiers in the armed forces a grant of Rs. 100,000 at the birth of the third child.