The President’s Chief of Staff and Senior Adviser to the President on National Security, Sagala Ratnayaka has instructed District Secretaries to hand over 100 acres of land in the North identified as private land that have been occupied by the Security Forces.
One of the main demands of the people in the North was the return of private lands occupied by the Security Forces. Ratnayaka has issued instructions that the military camps in the identified lands be relocated and the lands transferred to their original owners.
The ownership of these lands will be transferred to the people through the District Secretaries. Ratnayaka has also instructed that the lands should be released to the people before February 11. Ratnayaka said that these lands will be released to mark the 75th Independence Day to foster reconciliation with the Tamil community. If there are more such lands, they will be handed over to the people in the future after their legal status is clarified.