Lands located at the backside of the Killinochchi Court belonging to the Karaichchi Divisional Secretariat were released by the occupying Sri Lankan military on 20th of April. However, the ex-cadres who had been living there were not permitted to settle down at these lands as of now, according to the anxiety expressed by the ex-cadres.
Following are further revealed in this regard;
These particular lands released by the occupying Sri Lankan military on 20th of April belong to 15 persons. All of them are ex-cadres. 13 families among them lost their family heads whereas two of them are differently abled.
All of them had been living at these lands from 1995 to 2008. As these lands were being occupied by the occupying Sri Lankan military even after the resettlement, they were unable to be resettled.
But, despite these lands were released, they are denied the access by the GA and the officials of the Divisional Secretariat to resettle at their own lands where they had been living till 2008, according to the accusation made by these particular ex-cadres.
“We all are rehabilitated ex-cadres. 13 families among us are women head households. Remaining two are the families headed by the differently abled persons. Many documents assuring that they had been living there were handed over to the district and divisional secretariats. We have no other alternate lands anywhere”, Tamilkavi Aunty stated.
“We are very much frustrated as we are yet to be permitted to resettle at our lands despite these lands were released by the occupying Sri Lankan military on 20th of April, 2016. When I met with the Northern Provincial Governor in this regard, he told me that he would immediately order the GA to do the needful steps to handover the hands to us as the priority should be given to the rehabilitated ex-cadres like us”, she added.
When we contacted the Killinochchi GA Sundaram Arumainayaham in this regard, he stated the following;
“Some of the lands were released by the military on 20th of April. Many claimed ownership to a single land. Some of them have no evidences. Most of them attempt to take over these lands newly. Several issues are prevalent with regard to this. That is why; after clearly investigating all about these by forming a team, we decided to handover these lands”
Several land disputes are prevailing in Killinochchi district. Therefore, more attention should be paid in solving these land disputes, he further added.
