The security forces, together with the police and the Civil Security Department, will set up a comprehensive security plan covering over 10,000 schools, universities, and higher education institutions from today.
President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered this defence hierarchy to ensure the security of these institutions around the country before the commencement of the second term, next Monday.
The President had held discussions on the matter with newly-appointed Defence Secretary General Shantha Kottegoda, Acting IGP C.D. Wickremaratne, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff and the tri-forces commanders. A number of Civil Security Department personnel currently engaged in development and agriculture-related activities around the country are to be deployed to such institutions. Further, a number of security forces have also been deployed to Colombo to ensure the security of schoolchildren.
The traffic police will pay special attention to school vans as well. According to Traffic DIG Ajith Rohana, school vans will not be allowed to be parked near schools and police are discussing with the respective mayors, as well as municipal and urban council authorities, to use public grounds to park such vans.
He said senior students are to be deployed to gates to ensure the identity of the children entering the school premises and no parents would be allowed to remain at the gates of schools.
The Police Department yesterday said the assets owned by the group responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks would be seized by the CID, and that investigations were already under way.