An attempt is being alleged to acquire private land belonging to Tamils for the development of Palali Airport in Jaffna.
Former chairman of Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha S. Sugeerthan said the move by the Survey Department is to retake 500 acres of previously released land.
Around 3,000 acres of acquired land remain to be released at the same time, over which protests have taken place, he said.
Civil society activists raised the matter at a coordinating committee meeting on 30 January, but the divisional secretary has claimed he was unaware of such an attempt.
Sugeerthan rejected it.
He also called for an end to the Army’s farming activities in private land adjacent to the airport.
