The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is planning to release a majority of lands under the control of security forces during the internal conflict period and return them to their original owners over the course of this year.

President and Defence Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently announced plans to release lands occupied by the security forces during the internal conflict and return them to their rightful owners.

When queried by The Daily Morning about a timeline for the release of such lands, the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (Retired) Aruna Jayasekara said that lands currently occupied by the security forces, which have already been earmarked, would be returned to their original owners. “Just a few days ago, 40 acres of land were released. Similarly, we have scheduled the release of most such lands in the Northern and Eastern Provinces over the course of this year,” he said.

The land issues in the Northern and Eastern Provinces are connected to the past conflict and the struggles of the people who live there. Many families lost their homes and lands during the conflict, and even years after it ended, some are still fighting to get them back. Some lands are under military control, while others have been taken over by various governmental departments. Successive governments have returned some lands, but, many people are still waiting for their lands to be returned. It was reported recently that the Department of Forest Conservation was also set to release 250,000 acres of such lands to their original owners.