The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal made by President Maithripala Sirisena and the Minister of Defense to release 1,000 acres of land in the Jaffna High Security Zones in different stages.
As a first step 220 acres of land in the Valalai Grama Niladhari Division of the Valikamam East Divisional Secretariat Division will be released to establish a pilot village for the resettlement of 1,022 families displaced by the War.
Under this project each family will get 20 perches of land and financial assistance to construct a house. It has also been proposed to establish a school, a pre-school, a hospital, religious places of worship, community centres and build other infrastructure activities. The remaining 780 acres of land will also be used in the future to resettle the people displaced by the war.
A large extent of land from the 11,639 acres which were under the control of the security forces during the war period has already been already released while 6,152 acres in the Palay area is being maintained by the Sri Lanka Army and the Sri Lanka Air Force as High Security Zones.
Meanwhile, Cabinet has also decided to release the lands under the control of the Air Force in the Panama area in the Eastern Province to landless people in the area except the land in an extent of 25 acres in which buildings are now being constructed.
It was further decided to release the buildings presently under the control of the Security Services in the High Security Zone near the President’s House in Colombo and buildings around the Temple Trees.
