• Military has released 64,663 acres since war-end

A total of 64,663 acres of land in the Northern and Eastern Provinces occupied by the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force have been released since the end of the conflict in 2009, the Deputy Defence Minister, Major General (Retired) Aruna Jayasekara told Parliament yesterday (8).

Responding to a question raised by Jaffna District Opposition Parliamentarian Dr Ramanathan Archchuna, he said: "A total extent of 64,663 acres of land has been released from 2009 to date. The extent of land released in the Northern Province alone is 21,280 acres. Of these, 692 acres were released between December 2024 and January of this year (2026). Since the beginning of this year, 377 acres have been released." He added that arrangements are currently underway to release a further 243 acres in the coming period.

Rejecting claims that the Armed Forces had acquired lands, he said the military had not taken ownership of any lands, but had instead been allocated land solely for certain requirements.

Jayasekara added that the Government's policy is to return every parcel of land that can be released from military use to its original owners. However, he stressed that lands identified as essential for the operational requirements of the Armed Forces cannot be released at this stage.

His remarks came as the Government announced that a committee appointed to examine land disputes involving areas administered by the Departments of Forest Conservation and Wildlife Conservation in the Northern and Eastern Provinces is in the final stages of preparing its report. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday (8), Environment Minister Dhammika Patabendi said that the Cabinet of Ministers-appointed committee, established last year, has gathered proposals from all Districts in the two Provinces and is now finalising its recommendations.

Land disputes in the Northern and Eastern Provinces remain one of the unresolved legacies of the civil war. Although successive Governments have released thousands of acres over the years, some lands continue to remain under the control of the military and other State institutions, with many displaced families still awaiting the return of their properties.