Mannar: Civil-military coordination meetings were held across the Northern Province regarding state and privately owned lands currently used by the security forces. The sessions, presided over by the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), were held in the Mannar and Jaffna districts on May 25th and 26th. The meetings focused on resolving ongoing land ownership grievances, fostering socio-economic growth, and streamlining local infrastructure layout in close cooperation with the regional administrative mechanism.
According to Ministry of Defence – Sri Lanka, the first session commenced on Monday (25 May) at the Mannar District Secretariat, cochaired by Deputy Minister Jayasekara and the Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development, Mr. Upali Samarasinghe, who also serves as the Chairman of the District Coordinating Committee for Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, and Mannar Districts, and MP Mr. Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran from Vanni district. Prior to the meeting, the delegation undertook extensive field site inspections to assess ground realities firsthand. They inspected agricultural zones, private residences, and public common areas presently placed within the operational infrastructure of Sri Lanka Navy across several locations, including Mullikulam, Silawathura, Thalaimannar, Wankalapadu, and Pallimune.
Members of Parliament (MP) for the Vanni Electoral District, Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan, Mr. Kader Masthan, Mr. Thurairasa Ravikaran, and the District Secretary for Mannar were also present at the meeting where matters related to socio-economic grievances, local infrastructure demands, and land rights of the local residents were central topics on the agenda.
Subsequently, the Deputy Minister of Defence chaired a second meeting on Tuesday (26 May) at the Governor’s Office in Jaffna. The main focus was on resolving the existing issues regarding the lands of civilians used by the security forces in the districts of Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, and Jaffna. Mirroring the core objectives executed in Mannar, the Jaffna proceedings were cochaired by the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources and Chairman of the District Coordinating Committee for the Jaffna and Kilinochchi Districts, Mr. Ramalingam Chandrasekar, and Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development, Mr. Upali Samarasinghe. The administrative and regional perspective was further reinforced by key representatives, including the Governor of the Northern Province, Mr. N. Vedenayagam, and Mr. K. Ilankumaran, Member of Parliament for the Jaffna District.
Both panels emphasized that achieving long-term regional stability depends on striking an optimal balance between prioritizing national security imperatives and resolving outstanding issues related to both state-owned and privately used lands. By directly inspecting sites and convening the civil administration alongside senior defence officials, the Ministry of Defence is implementing a transparent mechanism to swiftly transition designated lands back into the hands of local communities for housing, fishing, and agriculture.
The collaborative scope of these meetings was underscored by the direct participation of high-ranking officials from military, civil, and environmental state bodies at both meetings, including the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, the District Secretaries, District Coordinating Committee Officials, Senior Officials from the Department of Survey, Department of Forest Conservation, and relevant authorities.