The Government will begin the formal redistribution of land to rightful civilian owners starting from the Divisional Secretariat in Kilinochchi on 13 August, under a new national initiative titled the ‘Himikama’ project, according to Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation Susil Ranasinghe.
Addressing ongoing concerns over long-held military land occupation and bureaucratic delays in land ownership, Ranasinghe announced that the ‘Himikama’ programme would mark a turning point in resolving long-standing land disputes, especially in the conflict-affected Northern and Eastern Provinces.
“This Government has not yet commenced full-scale redistribution of lands to civilians, but the process will formally begin this month in Kilinochchi. Through this initiative, we aim to issue land deeds to at least 50,000 new recipients before the end of this year,” he said.
He also confirmed that a significant share of these land allocations would be in the north and east, where vast areas of both State and private land have remained in limbo for years following the end of the civil conflict.
The announcement comes amid renewed scrutiny of military land occupation, as data from the Ministry of Defence confirms that out of a total 105,045.71 acres once held by the tri-forces, 78,715.20 acres have now been released for civilian use. A remaining 26,330.52 acres continue to be under military control, particularly in strategic areas of the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
Defence Ministry Spokesperson Brigadier Franklin Joseph told reporters that approximately 91% of military-held land had now been returned. However, he acknowledged that the timeline for releasing the rest remained undefined.
“The Army is currently re-examining the areas still under our control. During the war, many lands were acquired without clear boundaries or ownership documentation. There are competing claims and the verification process must be meticulous,” he explained.
In the Northern Province alone – covering the Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, and Vavuniya Districts – 69,119.55 acres have been released, while 14,574.66 acres remain under military occupation.
In the east – comprising Ampara, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee – 9,595.65 acres have been returned, with 11,755.86 acres still held by the military.
Ranasinghe noted that he had personally toured districts including Vavuniya, Mannar, and Mullaitivu, engaging with local administrators, parliamentarians, and affected farmers to assess the extent of land-related grievances. These include not only lands held by the military but also lands under dispute with other State agencies, such as the Forest Department and the Land Reform Commission (LRC).
A particularly contentious issue involves lands previously cultivated by civilians that have been gazetted by the Department of Forest Conservation. An inter-ministerial committee was appointed to resolve these cases and Ranasinghe confirmed that decisions had been made to release some of these lands. “A total of 24,000 acres in Vavuniya, 52,000 acres in Mullaitivu, and 2,600 acres in Mannar will be released by the Forest Department after redrawing the boundaries,” he stated.
The Ministry of Land and Irrigation has also flagged concerns regarding lands that continue to be occupied by military camps. Ranasinghe said that after bringing these complaints to the attention of Deputy Minister of Defence Maj. Gen. (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara, there had been movement towards identifying these locations for eventual return to civilian owners.
In Parliament, both Deputy Ministers from the Defence and Land Ministries have begun coordinated discussions to facilitate the reinvestment of disputed lands in the name of rightful private owners. “We are working on a process through which the remaining lands can be lawfully re-vested. This will involve resolving complex documentation and verifying claims,” Ranasinghe noted.
Further complicating the situation is ongoing litigation over land title settlements. The Deputy Minister revealed that an Opposition legislator had filed court cases objecting to the operations of the Department of Land Title Settlement, particularly its approach to concluding title settlements without court oversight. Nevertheless, Ranasinghe reiterated the Government’s commitment to prioritising people’s access to land over administrative or political roadblocks.
“The Government’s view is that land must be returned to the people, regardless of the political noise. Many families have cultivated and developed these lands for decades without formal deeds due to systemic failures dating back over 75 years. We are determined to vest these State lands in the name of those who have lived and worked on them, even if they don’t currently hold formal ownership documents,” he said.