36 per cent of land around Kilinochchi town area is still under military custody: Shritharan MP

Jaffna district MP S. Shritharan addressing at the DDC meeting in Kilinochchi on December 26.

At least 36 per cent of the land located around the Kilinochchi town area is still under military custody causing difficulties in carrying out the proposed town development programmes even after fifteen years passed since the end of the civil war, Jaffna district MP S. Shritharan said. 

Addressing the District Development Committee meeting held yesterday (26) at the Kilinochchi District Secretariat, the ITAK MP noted that the military still occupies a significant area of the town including part of District Secretariat premises, playground of Kilinochchi Maha Vidyalayam, Chandran park and land belong to Agrarian Department as well. 

"Kilinochchi is the only District Secretariat in the whole country where the Army occupies part of the Secretariat premises," the MP stressed while pointing out that several requests were made in the past by various stakeholders to release those lands to accelerate the development process of town in recent past as well. 

 The ITAK MP also pointed out that 441 acres of land belong to Vaddakachchi State Farm is also still under military custody and authorities refused to return it to the respective department since 2009. (Northeastern Monitor/December 27/2024)