Seventeen years after the end of Sri Lanka’s armed conflict, large tracts of privately owned civilian lands in the Northern and Eastern Provinces remain under military occupation, Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam told Parliament today (08).

MP Rasamanickam said the Government must fulfil its election pledge to expedite the release of occupied lands and enable resettlement. 

He welcomed the recent release of two military camps in Batticaloa, following the concerns raised at the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Defence, chaired by the President as Minister of Defence, but stressed that the pace of land releases remains far too slow.

The MP noted that continued military occupation hampers reconciliation, resettlement, and economic recovery, adding that except where there are genuine national security requirements, military deployment should be progressively reduced to levels comparable with the rest of the country.

Shanakiyan highlighted ongoing peaceful protests in Palaly, Myliddy, and Keppapilavu, where communities demand the return of their lands. 

He pointed out that the National People’s Power (NPP) secured a ward in Palaly at the recent Local Government Election largely on its promise to release civilian lands, saying, “The people who placed their trust in that promise now deserve to see it fulfilled.”

He called on the Government to present Parliament with a district‑by‑district breakdown of lands still under military occupation, the extent released since the current administration took office, and a timeline for releasing the remainder. 

Shanakiyan further outlined specific unresolved issues, such as:

• Myliddy: 556 acres belonging to around 700 families.
• Palaly: 556 acres belonging to about 300 families.
• Karaichchi Public Library: Land required for expansion.
• Iranamadu Agricultural Research Institute: Land still occupied.
• Keppapilavu: 59.5 acres remain under military control, with families only given temporary plots.

Rejecting claims that Keppapilavu residents had been provided with alternative lands, Shanakiyan said only a limited number of families had received temporary allocations. 

He urged the Government to accelerate demilitarisation in the North and East, stressing: “The affected communities have waited long enough.” (Newswire)

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Member of Parliament Archchuna Ramanathan, who had been in remand custody, was ordered to be released on bail today (29) after being produced before the Mallakam Magistrate’s Court.

MP Archchuna was arrested earlier by the Ilavalai Police over allegations that he threatened two women with a firearm during a land dispute in Periyavilaan, Jaffna, on April 25. 

The incident reportedly escalated when the MP attempted to clear land that the court had previously declared belonged to him, while two women also claimed ownership of part of the property.

The confrontation led to the alleged firearm threat, prompting police action. The MP was initially remanded until April 29, while one of the women involved was also arrested the following day.

After he was produced in court today, the Magistrate ordered his release on bail. (Newswire)

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The Chief Incumbent of Siyambalapitiya, Yattogoda and Yatahalena Raja Maha Vihara, Justice of the Peace, National Director of Human Rights and Sasana Keerthi Sri Saddharma Visharada, Venerable Mavikande Ratanapala Thera, has donated land in support of Sri Lanka’s national recovery efforts.

According to the President’s Office, Venerable Mavikande Ratanapala Thera donated a ten-acre privately owned plot of land belonging to him, situated in the Siyambalapitiya area of the Galigamuwa Divisional Secretariat Division. 

He made the donation in line with the Government’s programme to rehabilitate people whose property was damaged by Cyclone Ditwah.

The relevant deeds were handed over yesterday (07 Jan) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The Secretary to the President stated that the Government has commenced a programme to construct new houses for people who lost their homes due to Cyclone Ditwah, and that those willing to donate land may obtain the necessary information from the website; www.rebuildingsrilanka.gov.lk.

Officials of the Galigamuwa Divisional Secretariat were also present on the occasion. (Newswire)

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A high-level meeting to evaluate the progress of releasing privately owned lands in the Jaffna and Palali areas currently under military use took place at the Parliament Complex on Tuesday (11). 

The meeting was jointly chaired by Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) and Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku.

According to a Ministry of Defence statement, the discussion was held to accelerate the government’s efforts in resolving land-related issues, a cornerstone of the national reconciliation process.

Key matters discussed included finalizing boundary re-alignments, expediting the compensation process, prioritizing land plots for release, and overcoming administrative bottlenecks. 

The Chairpersons stressed the importance of a transparent and equitable process that ensures rightful land owners regain access to their property without compromising vital defence infrastructure.

Members of Parliament, the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Tri-Forces Commanders, the Inspector General of Police, and other senior officials from the defence and administrative sectors also took part in the session. (Newswire)

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Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd.) says over 700 acres of land in the North and East have been returned to the public so far this year. 

Deputy Minister Jayasekara said that from 01st January 2025 to date, a total of 672.24 acres of land have been returned to the public in the North.

He further said that these lands include 86.24 acres of private land and 586 acres of land that were used by the military.

Deputy Minister Jayasekara went on to note that 34.58 acres of government lands have also been released in the East Province alone.

He added that issues with the Eechankulam land in the Vavuniya District are being looked into and will be resolved soon. 

Deputy Minister Jayasekara revealed that the mentioned lands have been released after the submission of relevant information to the National Security Council (NSC) and the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security.

The Deputy Minister of Defence gave the breakdown while addressing the Parliament of Sri Lanka today. (Newswire)

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A court in Jaffna has ordered the police to return 2.5 acres of land occupied for a police station since 2005. 

The land, located in Kopay, had been under police control for over three decades.

The directive was issued by Jaffna District Judge C. Satheeskaran on July 27, following a legal case filed in 2019 by seven Tamil individuals who are the original owners of the property.

Despite the ruling, police failed to comply, prompting the court to deploy a bailiff yesterday (15) to enforce the verdict.

A separate case is still pending, seeking the return of an additional half-acre of land. (Newswire)

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Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra says the land dispute linked to the Muthu Nagar area in Trincomalee had already been fundamentally resolved on 29 July 2025, despite which a protest had been held in front of the Presidential Secretariat recently. 

Issuing a statement, Arun Hemchandra said that approximately 10% of the total land has been developed by solar energy companies, and that only certain specific areas are currently unusable due to an existing court order.

The Deputy Minister further said that all other lands, which are free from legal disputes or court orders, have been approved for use by farmers for agricultural purposes.

Arun Hemachandra also stated that steps have already been taken to support the affected farmers and to return the lands to them.

Warning that despite the issue being resolved, a certain group is still attempting to mislead the public, he stressed that their intention is not to resolve the matter but to create instability in the country.

Arun Hemachandra appealed to the public not to be deceived by such false information and urged them to support the ongoing efforts aimed at providing a stable solution that respects the law, protects the livelihoods of farmers, and ensures national stability. (Newswire)

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Around 3,300 acres of long-neglected land in Kantale were officially handed over to 1,152 farming families today.

According to Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra, these distributed lands were once part of the old sugar factory in the area. 

Deputy Minister Hemachandra further said that the lands have been distributed for the cultivation of maize.

“I was honoured to be part of an important moment in Kantale today. These lands, once part of the old sugar factory, are now set to come alive again, this time with maize fields that will help feed our country and strengthen our economy,” he said, in a statement on social media. (Newswire) 

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The Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) has issued a stern warning to the Anura Kumara Dissanayake government, demanding an immediate halt to land acquisition activities in the Jaffna region. 

ITAK General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran, speaking at the party’s May Day rally held at Weerasingham Hall yesterday, accused the government of betraying its promises to return land to its rightful owners.

“During the election, you pledged to return the people’s lands and release those held by the military. However, upon assuming power, you have initiated land acquisition, a move we vehemently oppose,” Sumanthiran stated to a gathering of party members and supporters.

He specifically called for the immediate withdrawal of the land acquisition gazette, labelling the government’s actions as unacceptable.

“Immediately stop acquiring lands contrary to your promises. In particular, the land acquisition gazette should be withdrawn immediately. Otherwise, we will make it impossible for you to set foot in Jaffna,” he warned. 

Prior to the May Day meeting, Sumanthiran had also addressed the land acquisition issue in a Facebook post, highlighting a recent government gazette notification. 

“Notice has been issued under Section 4 of the Land Settlement Ordinance in Gazette No 2430 dated 28.03.2025, only in English and Sinhala, stating that a total of 5,940 acres of land in the Northern Province would be declared as State Land if no claims are received within a period of 3 months,” the post read. 

To assist potential claimants, Sumanthiran announced, “A team of lawyers will be available to assist the claimants to forward their claims with legal assistance from today(02 May). (Newswire)

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Former Minister Mervyn Silva and two others have been remanded over allegations of the disposal of land using forged documents.

The Mahara Magistrate’s Court today remanded the three accused until 17 March 2025.

Former minister Mervyn Silva was arrested by Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officials while at his residence in Battaramulla yesterday.

Addressing the media today, Police Spokesman SSP Buddhika Manatunga confirmed that two more persons had also been arrested in connection to the case.

SSP Manatunga said the CID had arrested the former minister based on lengthy investigations conducted into allegations of financial fraud regarding a land located at Kiribathgoda. 

He said on the advice of the Attorney General, the CID had conducted a lengthy investigation into the matter. (Newswire)

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Cabinet approval has been granted to acquire a plot of land belonging to Kotagala Plantation (Pvt) Ltd for a public playground for the benefit of the students of the Sri Palee Campus affiliated with the University of Colombo.

According to the government, about 850 students are studying in the Sri Palee Campus, but they lack a suitable playground for the students to practice sports and conduct sporting events.   

As such, discussions have been conducted with relevant parties to acquire 2.5 acres of land that is uncultivated and owned by the Sorana Plantation under the Kotagala Plantation adjacent to the Sri Palee Campus, enabling the land to be used as a public playground. 

The consent of the board of directors of the Kotagala Plantation (Pvt) Ltd has been received to release the said land without any compensation, while the approval of the Secretary to the Treasury as an owner of the golden shares of the land, has also been received for the allocation of the land. 

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Prime Minister, in her capacity as a Minister of Higher Education and Vocational Education, to transfer the 2.5 acres of land owned by the Sorana Plantation under the Kotagala Plantation to the Sri Palee Campus affiliated to the University of Colombo. (Newswire)

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Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Vidyarathna has accused Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Director General for Community Affairs, of illegally acquiring 18 acres of land belonging to the Department of Wildlife and Forest Conservation.

Addressing the media yesterday, Minister Vidyarathna said several complaints had been received from various parties, including environmentalists, regarding a racket involving land at the Bogahapelessa Forest Reserve, which was gazetted in 2013. 

Stating that the forest reserve belongs to both the Badulla and Monaragala Districts, Minister Vidyarathna said complaints had been received on the illegal acquisition of land and an unlawful electricity project in the area. 

He revealed that it had been found that a group had obtained 5482 acres of land in the area by giving instructions to officials without handing over proper documentation. 

“According to the project report, the land had been obtained by an individual identifying himself as K.T. Ranjith. We launched a probe to find this individual. It was found that he had used a fake NIC number for this purpose,” he said. 

Minister Vidyarathna said a probe into the NIC had found that it had an extra digit, and the original belonged to Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, who served as former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Director General for Community Affairs.

“This K.T. Ranjith is Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, the former governor. Now it is evident who is behind this racket. These people have also obtained high-voltage power lines,” he said. 

Minister Vidyarathna e said as a solution to this issue, it has been decided to grant electricity supply to the Unakanda Village in the area, assuring that the racketeers will not be given an opportunity to benefit from this. 

His comments come after it was found that 18 acres of land at the Bogahapelessa Forest Reserve had been fraudulently acquired and that the CEB had approved a power project in the area at a cost of Rs. 120 million after receiving orders from the then President’s Secretary. (Newswire)

Minister Samantha Vidyarathna has accused former Governor Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon of illegally acquiring forest land through the use of forged documents and falsified information pic.twitter.com/w8TAG7vjIM

— NewsWire (@NewsWireLK) January 10, 2025

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Deputy Minister of Lands Dr Susil Ranasinghe says measures have been taken to launch a special investigation into the lands that were distributed for various purposes from 2015 to date. 

Speaking to reporters after attending an event in Anuradhapura, the Deputy Minister said legal action will be initiated following the completion of the investigations. 

Stating that lands are distributed to industries and for agriculture through the LRC, he pointed out that, however, in the recent past, there were a lot of issues related to the distribution and assigning of lands. 

“A decision was taken at the recent Cabinet meeting, to conduct probes to ascertain who has been given land by the Land Reform Commission since 2015, for what projects, and under what criteria. It was decided to suspend land allocations through the LRC until the investigations are conducted,” he said. 

Deputy Minister Susil Ranasinghe said the investigations will be carried out promptly to determine to whom the land has been allocated and whether any corruption or irregularities have occurred. (Newswire)

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Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, recorded a statement with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for over two hours today.

He was summoned to the CID in connection with an investigation into an alleged illegal asset acquisition.

Yoshitha Rajapaksa was seen arriving alone to provide a statement regarding the ownership of land in Kataragama. (Newswire)

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Cabinet approval has been given to the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to identify areas occupied by Plantation Workers on state-owned plantation lands managed by the State Plantation Corporation and regional plantation companies and to draft legislation to formally designate these areas as new settlement villages.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), a special discussion in this regard was held at the Presidential Secretariat, yesterday (July 17) under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

All parties had agreed on the proposal to enact the new legislation, the PMD said.

Participating in the discussion, opposition MP Mano Ganesan emphasized the crucial need to secure land rights for current plantation dwellers under this initiative, submitting a corresponding proposal to the President.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe commenting on the matter underscored the government’s ongoing commitment to implementing programs that provide freehold land and housing rights to residents across villages, towns, and plantations.

Furthermore, President Wickremesinghe recommended initiating the legislative process by consulting regional plantation companies and proposed the formation of a committee comprising parliamentarians representing plantation communities and relevant stakeholders to oversee the process.

Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Jeevan Thondaman, State Minister for Education Arvind Kumar, and MPs Mano Ganesan, Palani Thigambaram, Vadivel Suresh, Velu Kumar, M. Rameshwaran, and M. Udayakumar participated in the discussion. (Newswire)

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe has distributed freehold deeds to 408 individuals in Jaffna for cultivation purposes. 

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the land distribution was carried out as part of the Urumaya National Program which aims to distribute 2 million freehold deeds to the deserving public.

As part of the land distribution today, the President released 234 acres of land which were previously held by the Jaffna Security Forces Headquarters.

The lands were distributed to farmers for cultivation purposes in 5 Grama Niladhari Divisions in Jaffna.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe symbolically presented deeds, benefiting a total of 408 individuals at a ceremony held at Oddakapulam in Jaffna. (NewsWire)

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The allotment of land on a long-term lease basis for the construction of a monastery for the Sri Narayan Guru Centenary Celebration has received Cabinet nod. 

According to the government, the Sri Narayana Dharma Sangam Colombo Trust has requested land from the Nuwara Eliya district to build a monastery with Indian aid for the centenary of Sri Narayan Guru. 

A 6-acre land called Rambodawatta belonging to the Land Reform Commission in Kothmale Divisional Secretariat of Nuwara Eliya District has been identified for this purpose. 

The Cabinet has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Tourism and Lands to provide the Sri Narayana Dharma Sangam Colombo Trust with this land on a long-term lease basis for a period of 30 years. (NewsWire)

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced the allocation of government-owned land to enhance the facilities of the Sri Lanka Law College.

The President announced this decision during a deliberation held at the Parliament Complex on Wednesday (Dec 06).

Highlighting the historical significance of Sri Lanka Law College, which is set to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2024, President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized its noteworthy contribution, having produced three presidents.

Minister of Urban Development and Housing Prasanna Ranatunga, conveyed that a plot of land owned by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) will be provided to Sri Lanka Law College per the President’s directive.

President Wickremesinghe directed relevant authorities to promptly formulate plans for the immediate enhancement of the law college’s facilities. In the initial phase, a 40-perch plot will be allocated, with the remainder to be provided as per the requirements outlined in the comprehensive plan, following consultations with the Ministry of Justice.

Dr. Atula Pathinayake, the Principal of the Law College, expressed gratitude during the event, noting that in the school’s 150-year history, no land had been allocated to improve student facilities. He thanked President Ranil Wickremesinghe for the special attention given to this matter.

The gathering included Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing W.S. Satyananda, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority Nimesh Herath, officials from the Attorney General’s Department and representatives from the students’ union of the Law College. (NewsWire)

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