Friday , 05 April 2013
Land Development Ministry inaugurated the Jaffna district office and emphasized that it would handle in finding a settlement to the peoples land crisis, but land confiscations by the forces is advanced in full swing, not even one month is completed of its operations.
A considerable amount of private properties were confiscated by the forces in the Jaffna district, and public announcements are circulated through the Jaffna district land recovery office.
The declarations are exhibited for people’s observation.
The Land and Land Development Ministry inaugurated the Jaffna district office on last 11th at the Jaffna district secretariat.
Land Minister during the inauguration ceremony held in Jaffna said, this office would settle the land crisis of the Jaffna district people.
Minister emphasized, public lands would not be confiscated by the forces, and this office is not launched for that purpose, however not even a month is completed after the inauguration of this office, but the lands requested by the forces in the different areas in the Jaffna district, activities are processed speedily by the newly opened office.
The agreement from Mr. A.Sivaswamy, recovery official attached to Jaffna district land and land development ministry, under section 2 of the declaration - law of the land (cl.460) this declaration is displayed in public places.
Forces have requested private properties in some divisional secretariats coming under the 15 divisional secretariats situated in the Jaffna district.
Declaration issued by the Jaffna district office is demonstrated at the lands requested by the forces. This notification indicates the name of the land owner, and the land required by the military, their requirements and the relevant details.
The notification specifies if land owners refuse to bestow the lands to the forces, they could notify during investigation. It further quotes that the investigation would be held after 14 days.
Meanwhile activities are processed to make declaration of the private lands grabbed by the forces inside the high security zone.
Regarding this issue, Jaffna district Government Agent Suntharam Arumainyagam was contacted, and he said, the state land issues will be handled by the Governor and the private land issues are handled by the Jaffna district land and land development ministry's land recovery official. He further emphasized he is not aware about the detail information concerning this.
Regarding this land recovery officer A.Sivasuwasamy was queried, but he refused to express his views to the media.
| Temple land acquired illegally in K’nochchi |
By Our kilinochchi correspondent-2013-04-05
Tamil National Alliance MP, S. Sritharan, has brought to the notice of the Government Agent (GA), Kilinochchi, the attempt made by a private firm in Anuradhapura to acquire three acres of land that belongs to the Uthiravengai Vairavar Temple, closer to Kilinochchi town, that comes under the purview of the Kanagambikaikulam Grama Sevaka Division.
MP Sritharan, in a letter to the GA, Kilinochchi, has pointed out that three acres of land of the Uthiravengai Vairavar Temple – which is used for religious activities during the festival season had been illegally taken over by a private firm from Anuradhapura, which does not have any links with Kilinochchi. To compound the problem, the party that had acquired the land has brazenly put up a 'no entry board' on the land as well.
According to Sritharan, the persons who had forcibly taken over the land had even resorted to threatening the trustees of the temple. The land had been owned by the temple for the past 35 years.
Lands belonging to people and public institutions such as temples are illegally acquired by Sri Lankans who come to the North from the southern part of Sri Lanka, Sritharan pointed out.
"Documents pertaining to the particular land are in the possession of the temple administration and the Government Agent should take measures to prevent land being so acquired and also curtail land being taken over by outside parties. The authorities should hand over the land owned by the Uthiravengai Vairavar Temple to the temple trustee, Sritharan urged.
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