Govt moves to speed up Jaffna land restitution process

The government has decided to speed up the release of state and private lands in Jaffna and Palaly that are currently being used by the security forces.

The decision was discussed at a progress review meeting held at the Parliament Complex on June 24. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Defence Minister Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara and several other ministers.

The meeting focused on resolving land ownership issues, speeding up compensation payments and returning identified lands to their rightful owners.

Deputy Defence Minister Jayasekara also spoke about his recent visit to Jaffna, where he inspected lands being used by the security forces.

Officials discussed ways to overcome delays and improve coordination among government institutions. They agreed that the final approval for releasing the lands would be given by the National Security Council (NSC).

Senior officials from the Defence Ministry, the Army, the Air Force, the Jaffna District Secretariat and other government institutions attended the meeting.