US returns 160-acre land leased for VoA

Land given to the US Embassy in 1991 to establish a Voice of America transmission station in Sri Lanka will be returned to the Government, Cabinet decided yesterday. 

The land of about 166.038 hectares in the Iranawila area in Puttalam was leased to the American embassy in 1991 to build a Voice of America transmission station. But the embassy had informed the Sri Lankan Government that it wished to return the land and other assets on it before the expiration of a lease agreement. 

Accordingly, under a proposal made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as National Policies and Economic Affairs Minister, the land will be taken over by the State and the agreement with the US Government will be terminated.