by Northern Breeze

Lanka needs to resolve people concerns on lost lands in the North-East!

This building at KKS in Jaffna peninsula referred to as International Relations Centre is added with some of the best known convention centres in the country like the BMICH, the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute and Nelum Pokuna all comes under Presidential secretariat. It was constructed on a large land area made of amalgamated private plots, whose owners are yet to be compensated!

With the onset of the Civil-War in Sri Lanka, the security forces occupied Jaffna Fort. They were sent to Jaffna peninsula to curb Tamil youths, who took up arms against the state. As the result the Fort came under siege and was the scene of pitched battles from 1985 to 1995. The Fort included among several other buildings the official Presidential residence in the North.

During the said period, as the Fort was under the control of the youths, was attacked and all buildings inside were destroyed. In 1995 the Army recaptured and later the Fort was renovated with Dutch funding.

The destroyed Presidential residence was not rehabilitated, inside the Jaffna Fort. Instead, a new residence was constructed inside the High Security Zone at Kankesanthurai (KKS).

The centre at KKS in the North like Arugam Bay in the East is built as international convention centres are designed to host international events remain unutilized.

Perhaps with independence many decades ago, had then rulers acted prudently and turned the country into an international investment hub the situation would have been different.

With many impediments as policy inconsistency, administrative inefficiency and discrimination led the country to a civil-war, prevented the hub concept becoming a reality.

With normalcy not restored many negative concerns raised on lands in north and east provinces remain unresolved; many construe it as an attempt by the state to grab land.

In the case of large areas of land made up of many individuals owned plots amalgamated and held by authorities permanent structures have been constructed. Today, people have difficulties to identify their plots from that of others, is causing much confusion.

Especially with many owners either dead or got displaced overseas for prolonged periods; ownership of many land and properties had changed hands.

In this scenario, with Corona pandemic on going and other issues affecting the ruled, the rulers needs to resolve the said negative concerns raised on lands in all districts in North and East provinces.