TNA did not take part in co ordination group meeting
550 acres of land demanded by the security forces to construct camps in Kopay Divisional Secretary division has been agreed upon to be given as demanded. The agreement to give these lands was reached as the co-ordination group meeting of the Divisional Secretariat, according to M. Pradeepan, the Kopay Divisional Secretary.
The co- ordination group meeting of the Kopay Divisional Secretariat took place recently with Sylvester Alantin, the Member of Parliament presiding.
The final permission which has to come from the coordinating groups was read out by the secretary, and with that 550 acres of land will go into the hands of the security forces.
33 thousand 309 acres from the J261 Grama Sevaka Division in Kopay, where LTTE martyr’s cemetery had functioned earlier and which was allocated for prisons is to be given for constructing the 51st headquarters of the Sri Lankan defense forces.
3 thousand 37 acres of state land in Pannalai area from the J269 Grama Sevaka Division in Neerveli is to be given for the construction of a camp for the Sri Lanka security forces.
Seventeen thousand 943 acres of Land from the J267 Grama Sevaka Division in Thambalai Kadirippai to be given for the needs of the Sri Lankan security forces, and this land has been surveyed, and 2 acres of land from the J268 Grama Sevaka Division in Neerveli which belonged to the Palmyra Development board is to be given to the Sri Lankan security forces, according to the final decision read out by the secretary.
None of the representatives in the co ordination group including the members of the EPDP objected in giving the lands in the above areas to the security forces.
When permission was sought for a plot of land in Thondamaanaru, to build a guest house, Mrs. Amudha Sriskantharajah objected, saying that the particular land belonged to an individual.
The particular lady also objected to another effort made by the security forces to settle the people of Myliddy to Thondamanaru Akkarai area, however with no objection raised in regard to the other 4 lands mentioned earlier, the particular 4 lands will be given to the security forces as per the decision arrived at by the coordinating group of the divisional secretariat, said the divisional secretary.
When the Member of Parliament and the leader of the coordinating group Sylvester Alantin was asked whether the group was willing to hand over the lands to the security forces, he replied that he had still not signed in the decision arrived at the co -ordaining group meeting.
Prominent TNA representatives did not take part in the co-ordination group meeting.
TNA Jaffna District or Pradeshiya Sabha members who have been issuing statements against the land grabbing by the army, did not take part in the above co–ordination Group meeting of the Kopay Divisional Secretariat. The opposition members of the Pradeshiya Sabha from the EPDP took part in the meeting but did not object to giving the 4 lands to the security forces.
EPDP's Jaffna district M.P. Sylvester Alanin Presided at the meeting.
The co-ordination group meeting of the Kopay Divisional Secretariat last took place in November 2011.