Northern landowners call for compensation

BBC Sinhala
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The Sri Lankan Military deny that property it returned to owners were heavily damaged.

Military have vacated houses they occupied in Mulathivu, Kilinochchi and Mannar districts in order to hand them over to the owners.

Bare land

Kanapathi Pullai Kailanadan of Thandikulam said he was given a piece of bare land without the house.

"Military occupied my house since 1993 and it was used as an armoury. An LTTE attack destroyed the whole house and now military has returned only ruins," said Kailanadan.

For the first time in twenty years, the government is taking steps to vacate military from properties located inside the high security zone in Palali.

Mulathivu Security Commander Major General Prasanna Silva told journalists that the military had been ordered to vacate the properties belongs to resettling civilians. "We consider it's important to provide assistance to these IDP's”, he added.

However owners of the properties pointed out that even though they handed well built houses to the military, what they received from the security forces is only bare land or ruins.

"My house was occupied by military for over twenty years without paying any rent," one landlord told BBC. Another owner told that military paid him a mere 500 rupees for renting his house while he had to pay 5000 rupees as rent.

"No big deal"

Speaking to BBC Sandeshaya, military spokesman Major General Ubhaya Medawela said the military has returned properties in their original condition.

"If property owners have any issues regarding their properties they can be raised with the civil coordination officers or public officials" he pointed out.

Rejecting civilian claims that properties were returned in bad condition the military spokesman said, "if the houses were returned in a condition worse than they were obtained by the military, owners should inform the military and getting them back in shape is no big deal."

© BBC Sinhala