President orders to expropriate Tamil lands in Mullaitivu under Mahawali Authority: Gajendrakumar in Parliament

Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, parliamentarian and the leader of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), has demanded the revocation of the president’s order to bring the land administration of eight villages in Karaithuraipatru under Mahavali and has accused the president of ordering the Mahavali Authority to take charge of the lands arbitrarily without consulting the relevant authorities.

He said this while addressing the Parliament yesterday.

Gajendrakumar in his speech appealed to the President to reconsider his decision and stop such unjust action.

“In 1984, places in the Tamil people of Kokkilai, Kokkuthoduvai,Karunattukerni were asked to bed evacuated by the military, because they were going to carry out operations. Those people were displaced until 2012. Till then they were not even allowed to come and resettle. Whereas despite the military chasing out the Tamil people who have been there for generations, Sinhalese people were allowed to settle in these areas. After the war, the people who rightfully owned those areas tried to come back, they found that Kokkilai West, Kokkilai East, Kokkuthoduvai South, Kokkuthoduvai North, Kokkuthioduvai Centre and Karunatukerni, had been gazetted under the Mahawali development authority in 2007. These areas had been gazetted without their knowledge.

When the Tamil people tried to go there and resettle in these areas, they were not allowed. Subsequently, Chemmalai east GS Divisions were also included in that gazette. Despite these being gazetted under the Mahawali Authority, the land administration was kept under the Divisional   Secretariat of Karaithuraipatru.

The President has now directed the Mahaweli Authority to take charge of these lands arbitrarily without consulting the concerned authorities”. Gajendrakumar added.