President's chief of staff and senior advisor on national security Sagala Ratnayaka has ordered the return of 100 acres of private land in the north to their owners.
His directive to the district secretaries comes following strong calls for the military to leave the private land it occupies in the province.
Ratnayaka said the military camps should be relocated and identified land returned before February 11 to coincide with the 75th Independence Day.
In order to promote reconciliation with Tamil people, any further land claimed by them will be given back following a proper legal process, he said.
Commission to implement national land policy
Meanwhile, president Ranil Wickremesinghe told the all-party conference on January 26 that a national land policy should be implemented through a land commission.
The draft for the commission’s formation will be finalized by March, he said.
According to the president, 3,000 acres of Jaffna land remains to be returned to private owners now.
He also called for further reforestation to bring 30 per cent of the landmass covered by forests and expressed his total commitment towards that end.
