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President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday launched another round of returning lands held by the military in the Northern Province to Tamils, the original landowners.
At a function in Killinochchi , Mr. Sirisena symbolically distributed land deeds for 613 acres in Killinochchi and Mullativu districts. The original owners included individuals and institutions.
This followed the release of 818 acres in Sampur of the Eastern Province and 1,013 acres in the Jaffna district of the Northern Province. Responding to a query by The Hindu, the Army had said in Julythat the troop deployment adjustment and the release of private lands [taken over by the Army during the War] are “continuous and ongoing processes”. In the last five years, it has released 19,159 acres in the Northern Province, including 6,258 acres in Palaly.
Participating in the function, C.V.Wigneswaran, Chief Minister of the Northern Province, expressed hope that under Mr. Sirisena’s rule, Sri Lanka would become prosperous and peaceful. At least 5,000 acres in the Northern Province are said to be with the security forces.
T. RamakrishnanT. Ramakrishnan / The Hindu