General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army as the Chief Guest, together with a gathering of Officers and Other Ranks, sharp at 9.18 a.m as requested by the Ministry of Lands, planted 500 saplings of egg plants, okra, chilies, tomatoes, wild eggplant (Thibbatu), etc and contributed to the national drive, ‘Haritha Deyak’ which advocates cultivation of vegetable crops inside all state land compounds where government establishments have been located and in all private lands of 20 perches or less.

The Army Chief together with All Ranks planted those saplings along the walkway compound, maintained by the Army and joined the drive which took place island-wide simultaneously sharp at 9.18 a.m to coincide with the main ceremony at Kahathuduwa, Homagama. Around the same time, 331 Divisional Secretariats across the country joined the programme by distributing vegetable saplings among civilians, resident in land plots of 20 perches or less.

In addition, Army troops at Karandeniya, Niraviya, Adiyapuliyakulam, Mahawa, Manik Farm, Killinochchi, Vellankulam, Akkarayakulam, Kankasanthurai, Mullaittivu and Panagoda Army Farms simultaneously joined the national project by planting vegetable saplings around the same time in their respective farmlands.

Today’s event near the Army HQ was organized by the Sri Lanka Army Directorate of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) under the supervision of Brigadier Arosha Rajapaksha, Director, DAL.

Major General Vikum Liyanage, Chief of Staff, Major General Nishantha Manage, Director General General Staff, Major General Deepal Pussella, Adjutant General, Major General Shiran Abeysekara, Director General Financial Management Branch, Major General Prasanna Ranawaka, Quarter Master General, Senior Officers and Other Ranks participated in Tuesday’s inaugural ceremony near the Army HQ.
SL Army