President Anura Kumara Dissanayake affirmed that lands belonging to the people should be returned to the people, and announced plans for a review of the land issue in the North. He emphasized that necessary steps will be taken to return the lands as soon as possible.
The President noted that the government has the authority to acquire land across the country for development or security purposes, but insisted that such lands should be compensated with others to benefit the people.
President Dissanayake shared these views during his participation in the Jaffna District Coordination Committee meeting, held at the Jaffna District Secretariat on January 31st.
He further emphasized that the Jaffna President’s House is available for a more critical project that would benefit the people of Jaffna. He called for appropriate proposals to be submitted for this purpose.
Additionally, the President instructed officials to investigate reports that families displaced by the war are still residing in the Northern Province and directed that prompt decisions be made.
The President also highlighted the committee appointed by the Prime Minister’s Secretary, which identified around 30,000 vacancies in state institutions. He assured that these vacancies would be filled according to recruitment procedures, with graduates given equal opportunities. Specifically, he mentioned that Tamil-speaking youth will be given greater opportunities for positions within the Police Department, urging them to apply.
As part of the government’s commitment to improving the transport system in the Northern Province, a joint project between the Sri Lanka Transport Board and private bus operators has been planned. Additionally, attention will be given to expanding the number of railway services in the region.
To boost the economic development of the Northern Province, the President revealed plans to establish three new industrial zones in Paranthan, Mankulam, and Kankesanthurai. He extended an invitation to Sri Lankans who had left the country due to the war to invest in these zones.
The government has also placed special emphasis on implementing development plans for the Northern Province, considering it a key priority. In line with this, the President noted that new tourist destinations in the region are being identified and promoted. This effort is expected to attract a significant number of tourists, with projections of 2.5 million visitors to Sri Lanka in the coming year.
Further, President Dissanayake stated that new recruitments in the Northern Province’s public service would be conducted without interference from political authorities, and efforts will be made to further strengthen the public service in the region.
Addressing ongoing concerns, the President expressed his commitment to diplomatically resolving the fishing dispute and improving the water supply in the Northern Province. He pointed out that the region uses the least tap water in the country and promised to expedite the ongoing water projects. The government has allocated funds from this year’s budget to launch new water projects.
Acknowledging the numerous challenges faced by the people in the North, the President pledged to pay special attention to enhancing services in key areas such as education, health, transportation, and agriculture. He emphasized the need for political authority and the state machinery to work together to improve the living standards of the people.
The Jaffna District Coordination Committee meeting was attended by several key figures, including the Chairman of the Committee, Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Marine Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation Bimal Ratnayake, National People’s Power (NPP) MPs Ilankumaran Karunanandan, Dr. Saravanabavanandan Shanmuganathan, Rajivan Jeyachandramoorthy, Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) MP Sivagnanam Sridharan, All Ceylon Dravidian Alliance (AITC) MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, and MP Ramanathan Archuna. The event was also attended by Northern Provincial Governor Nagalingam Vedanayagam, Northern Provincial Chief Secretary L. Ilangovan, Jaffna District Secretary M. Pradeepan, Acting Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya, and other government officials, including officers from the tri-services in charge of the Northern Region.
