The Army will hand over 1,300 acres of land in the North and the East back to their rightful owners during the second week of January. The land will be handed back to the District Secretaries of Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Mannar at a function presided by the Governor of the Northern Province, Reginald Cooray.
The Sri Lanka Army will release the lands tomorrow prior to the official hand over as announced previously. The Army will release 263.55 acres of private land in the provinces to its owners while it will also release another 1,099 acres belonging to the Department of Forest Conservation. The 1,099 acres will include 479 acres in Jayapuram North in Poonakary, 120 acres in Udayarkadidukulam South in Pudukuduirippu and 500 acres in Vellamkulam, Manthai.
The Army had been using these lands since 2009 following the end of Sri Lanka’s long drawn war against terrorism. However, of the land occupied since 2009, the Army has to date released over 79 per cent of government-owned land. Ninety per cent private owned land has also been released in the North and the East.