Land encroachment in east escalates, Tamil officers face transfer threat

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 May 2011, 03:15 GMT]
Legal action will be taken in courts against persons who fail to leave encroached State lands in Ko'raalaippaththu South division within one month, warned V. Thavarasa, Divisional Secretary (DS), sources in the east said. Sixteen Muslims and two Tamils have encroached each about fifty acres of state lands in Aathichcheanai area in Oothuchcheanai village. Wealthy persons including businessmen and rice mill owners are among the encroachers, according to the DS office.

Thavarasa said the encroachers have no valid documents to prove that they are the legal owners of lands occupied land. The encroachers could remain in their lands if they substantiated their claims with valid documents. Otherwise they would be evicted within one month. If they fail to move, they will be charged in courts, he said.

Divisional Secretary has been facing severe opposition to his move to evict encroachers from ministers, ruling party chairmen of Pratheasia Sabais (PS) and organizers of the ruling United peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

The opposers are requesting the government to transfer the Tamil DS and appoint a Sinhalese DS and to appoint Sinhalese to the posts of the Government Agent and District Director of Irrigation.

Civil sources feel such requests would damage the healthy relationship that currently exists between Tamil and Muslim communities.

Meanwhile, about 12,000 acres of lands belonged to Tamils in the Ko'raalaippaththu South DS division have been acquired by the Colombo government and have been allocated to Sinhala Home Guards. The DS had to face transfer threat from powerful politicians of the Colombo government for his opposition to this action.