Hon. Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara,— To ask the Minister of Defence,— (2)

(a) Is he aware that —

(i) the soldiers recruited into the tri Forces under the Special Recruitments (enlisted) have been deployed in duties related to various occupations;

(ii) they have been permitted to perform duties in civilian clothes or in workwear without wearing the uniforms relevant to their services; and

(iii) accordingly, a problem has emerged as 43 soldiers employed in duties at the Information Technology Division of the Sri Lanka Navy have been instructed to wear uniforms?

(b) Will he state —

(i) of the number of soldiers who have been recruited under special recruitments and are currently in service, separately;

(ii) of the respective duties  assigned to them and the  privileges  they are entitled to separately;

(iii) whether they can wear  their service uniforms in addition to civilian clothes;

(iv) if so, of the instances in which they can do so;

(v) of the authorities that undertake the issuance of instructions/circulars/orders relating to them;

(vi) whether they may be ordered to wear uniforms at the discretion of the Head of the Institution;

(vii) whether the soldiers referred to in (a) (iii) above perform their duties in service uniform; and

(viii) if not, whether they perform duties in civilian clothes or in workwear?

(c) If not, why?