By Ananth Palakidnar
The Northern Provincial Council yesterday introduced a resolution, at a special session, urging the Security Forces to vacate from the private buildings and private lands in all five districts of the Northern Province before 31 December this year.
The Chairman of the Northern Provincial Council, C.V.K. Sivagnanam, who had tabled the resolution at the special session told Ceylon Today that the resolution was passed unanimously.
Sivagnanam said the leader of the NPC Opposition S. Thavarasa brought to the notice of the Council, that the Security Forces had vacated from several private buildings in the Northern Province since the war came to an end in 2009 and they have also handed over the private lands in their possession to their legitimate owners in several parts of the Province. He also argued that the Security Forces could gradually vacate the lands and the private buildings.
According to Sivagnanam, the resolution has also urged the President and the government to implement the provisions of the 13th Amendment with regard to the land powers which clearly indicates that the land issues in the Province should be dealt in consultation with the Chief Minister.
“The Provincial Council members from all five districts of the Northern Province brought to the notice of the Council the details of the lands and private buildings in the occupation by the Security Forces. More than 60,000 acres of lands in all five districts, along with several hundred private buildings have been occupied by the Security Forces in the Province,” Sivagnanam said.
” However, since the Northern Province has been agitating against the land acquisition and voicing for the resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons a time frame for the Security Forces to vacate the private lands and buildings become inevitable. Therefore, all members of the NPC finally agreed to give a time frame for the Security Forces to vacate the private buildings and lands,” Sivagnanam said.