Army has released 86% of land held in North and East

Around 86% of State and privately owned land occupied by the Sri Lanka Army in the Northern and Eastern Provinces has been released to date, while a further 185.73 acres is expected to be handed back within the next two months.

As of October 28, the Army had released 73,568 acres of the 85,549 acres it occupied in the two provinces in 2009. This included 49,304 acres of State land and 24,264 acres of privately owned land.

Kilinochchi recorded the largest extent of land released, with 25,196 acres returned to the original owners.

So far this year, the Army has released 209 acres of State land and 11.23 acres of private land in the Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts. A further 160 acres of State land and 25 acres of privately owned land in the North and East are now being processed for release.

In Mullaitivu, two plots belonging to the Department of Forest Conservation are being prepared for release. These comprise 48 acres in the Alankulam Grama Niladhari Division and nine acres in the Ambakamam Grama Niladhari Division.

In Ampara, another 102-acre plot belonging to the Akkaraipattu Divisional Secretariat is being processed for release in the Alimnagar Grama Niladhari Division.

The 25 acres of private land earmarked for release is in the Pachchilapalai Grama Niladhari Division in Kilinochchi, where the Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers currently occupy the land.

The Ministry of Defence has set December 31, 2026, as the deadline for relocating the SLEME camp to the Palaly Security Zone, paving the way for the land to be returned to its original owners.

The Army expects to release a total of 370 acres of State land and 36 acres of private land in the North and East this year.

Between January 1, 2025, and October 28 this year, the Army released 1,296 acres in the Northern Province and 102.96 acres in the Eastern Province.

Army Commander Lieutenant General Nilantha Premaratne told the Sunday Observer that a substantial extent of land previously used for military purposes had been released since the end of the war.

However, he said some areas remained under military occupation because of unresolved ownership claims, legal disputes and administrative complications, while others could still be required for operational or strategic reasons.

“We recognise the legitimate interests of private landowners and support the release of land that is no longer required for security purposes. The strategic importance of a particular area cannot be determined by its size alone,” he said.

“Our approach is to release land wherever possible, resolve ownership issues through the appropriate legal and administrative processes, and retain only those areas justified by national security requirements. Ultimately, each remaining parcel of land must be assessed on its own merits to establish whether there is a genuine national need for the Army to continue occupying it.”

The Army currently occupies 11,980 acres in the two provinces, with further releases planned.