Compensation at market value:

Army to relocate camps in Palaly

by S. Selvakumar

The Army will soon relocate 14 of the 17 camps in Valikamam in Jaffna to Palaly.

These camps are on private lands and rents are being paid at current market value.

Land owners where these camps are located barely have any complaints but politicians make a big hue and cry, military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya said.

Three camps in Valikamam will remain since they are considered strategically important for the region’s security, he said.

Compensation would be paid at current market prices to acquire new lands to relocate the 14 camps and the owners would be provided alternative lands too.

Most of the military facilities in Vadamarachchi and Thenmarachi in the peninsula are in government-owned or properly acquired lands and some in former LTTE camps.

Military facilities are on 6,300 acres in Palaly including the harbour and airport, Brigadier Wanigasuriya said.

Meanwhile, 2,176 writ applications filed in the Court of Appeal against the acquisition of lands in the East and North of Valikamam came up for hearing before the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice S. Sri Skandarajah on Thursday.

The Court directed the respondents to file objections, if any, before July 10 and postponed the case for that date.

Of the writ applications 1,474 were filed by individuals while another 702 people filed a joint application.