Land Restitution: MP Urges Govt to Honour Pledge on Military-Held Lands 🏛️

ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has called on the Government to fulfill its election manifesto pledge to expedite the release of military-occupied private civilian lands in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Key details based on provisional parliamentary queries: • Context & Pledges: Despite 17 years passing since the end of the armed conflict, significant extents of private land remain under military occupation. The National People’s Power (NPP) government had pledged land restitution to facilitate the resettlement of displaced communities. • Current Progress: While two military camps were recently released in Batticaloa following defense committee reviews, the overall pace of land releases is stated to be too slow, triggering ongoing peaceful protests in Palaly, Myliddy, and Keppapilavu. • Specific Regional Impact: • Myliddy Harbour: Military occupation affects roughly 700 families. • Palaly: Around 300 families remain affected. • Keppapilavu: 59.5 acres of civilian land are still held. Claims of alternative land allocations were disputed, noting only 44 individuals received temporary land at Seniyarmottai. • Public & State Infrastructure: Occupied spaces include public institutions and development areas, such as the Karachchi Pradeshiya Sabha expansion, the Department of Agriculture, the Karachchi Public Library, the Iranamadu Agricultural Research Institute, and a Hindu cemetery at Kurumbaichitty. The MP has requested a transparent, time-bound timeline from the Ministry of Defence detailing the total acreage currently occupied versus land released per district.