The septuagenarian, Mrs Hemalatha of Deraniyagala, Kirihena with her husband has lived in Krishnapuram II village after she had arrived in Krishnapuram II village in Kilinochchi in 1979. Having left her four children with her parents elsewhere as LTTE terrorist threats were fast on the increase in the Kilinochchi region, they both put up a cadjan hut and continued to reside there. In 1996 after terrorists intensified fighting she was forced to take refuge in a refugee camp and live there nearly for 4 years. She afterwards began to sell vegetables in Kilinochchi town after she developed good acquaintances with Tamils resident there.
However, she returned to her cadjan hut again with her husband in Krishnapuram after troops cleared Kilinochchi from LTTE terrorists in 2009 and was leading a hand to mouth life when their plight was brought to the notice of Major General Vijitha Ravipriya, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 57 Division.
After serious thoughts went into possibilities of constructing a new house for them, all troops serving the 57 Division readily consented after they were enlightened on this proposed meritorious and humanitarian project, Accordingly, engineering and technical expertise of 9 Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR) troops of the 571 Brigade undertook the construction part under the guidance of the GOC, 571 Brigade Commander and the Commanding Officer 9 VIR, Major Dananjaya Udapamunuwa on 15 July 2018.
The auspicious day dawned on Sunday (18) as arrangements were in place to formally vest her dream home with Mrs Hemalatha and her husband who had undergone the bitter side of the life for over forty years. Major General Ravipriya, along with Colonel Najeewa Edirisinghe, 571 Brigade Commander and 9 VIR Commanding Officer, Officers and Other Ranks in a simple ceremony formally vested the new house in them.
