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President Sirisena hands back 700 acres from HSZ to original owners
More than 700 acres of land, earlier demarcated as areas of High Security Zones (HSZ) in Walikamam North in Jaffna, was returned to the owners by President Maithripala Sirisena, a senior official said.
The residents were allowed to resettle and cultivate their lands after a lapse of more than 25 years.
Additional District Secretary- Lands, in Jaffna, A.S. Muralitharan told the Sunday Times that the families were issued with certificates to re-enter their lands and cultivate, while their disputes over the ownership of the lands would be resolved subsequently.
“The certificate will serve as an authorization to return to their lands and rebuild their houses, cultivate lands and settle down. They can clear disputes over ownership subsequently,” he said.
Earlier, the Government released more than 2,000 acres demarcated as HSZs, of a total of 6,400 acres.
The Government has promised to release lands previously owned by civilians without compromising the security.
Minister of Resettlement and Prison Reforms, D.M. Swaminathan, Chief Minister C.V. Wigneshwaran and State Minister of Women’s Affairs Vijayakala Maheshwaran were among those present.