It has been stated that land grabbing of the Department of Forest Conservation continues in Mullaitivu district and 100 acres of lands belonging to the people have been grabbed and boundary has been demarcated to it.
Agricultural lands belonging to people have been grabbed at Puliyamunai area at Semmalai in Mullaitivu district. Consequently, 40 families got affected.
720 acres of lands located at Puliyamunai area situated west of the Nayaru-Kokkuthoduvai main road were distributed to the people of Semmalai for agriculture in 1972.
People had been getting engaged in the cultivation of peanut and corn. It was unable to get engaged in cultivation in this area during the war. People started cultivation in this area again after the war.
Meanwhile, name board stating that these lands belonged to the Department of Forest Conversation has been placed. It is stated that people should not get engaged in cultivation in this area and people were cautioned that legal action would be taken against them if they enter into these lands.
People demand the authorities to release these lands for them. People, who stated that they could not get engaged in cultivation in this area due to the war, added that lands belonging to 270 families among the 350 families to whom the lands in this area belong had been identifies through Karaithuraipatru Divisional Secretariat in 2015.
The people stated that they, who have been doing cultivation in this area for last 3 years, have now been denied to get engaged in cultivation in this area. Both Archaeological Department and Department of Forest Conservation torture the people by accelerating their land grabbing.
Northern Provincial Council member T.Raviharan, who stated that people have the leagal documents for these lands and there are enough evidences that people had been going cultivation in this area, emphasized that Tamil leaders should pay more attention in releasing these lands for the people of this area.
