Vanni District (NPP) Member of Parliament S. Thilakanathan has announced that initial steps have been taken to release 25,000 acres of land in the Vavuniya district that were previously acquired by the Forest Department using Google Maps.
In a statement, MP Thilakanathan explained:
“We are actively working to provide solutions for displaced residents of the Vavuniya District, those without land, and newly married families without property. In this context, we have decided to release all lands that were acquired by the Forest Department in 2012 through satellite imagery using Google Maps.
Approximately 25,000 acres in this district were acquired in this manner. In the Mullaitivu District as well, around 52,000 acres are under the control of the Forest Department. The National People’s Power (NPP) government is taking swift action to release a significant portion of those lands. The lands will be distributed to rightful owners and landless individuals under an accelerated program.
Additionally, Vavuniya District contains 849 tanks, of which 221 are located within the Forest Department’s jurisdiction. We are immediately releasing 44 of these tanks for public use and will rehabilitate and hand them over to the community. Efforts are also underway to recover and clean the remaining 149 forest-covered tanks and make them usable by the public. These tasks are expected to commence within this year.
Furthermore, Vavuniya has six major irrigation tanks, and Rs. 780 million is required for their renovation. This funding has been proposed to be allocated in the upcoming national budget. The World Bank is expected to provide USD 1 billion for the development of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Through this funding, we aim to uplift the economy and livelihood of the people in these regions,” he added.
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