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. |