Tamil party to file a FR petition against land registration

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is to file a Fundamental Rights petition before the Supreme Court Monday (24) against the Government’s move to register the lands in the North and East.

The TNA says that the Government has failed to respond to the request made by the party to stop the land registration in the North and East.

TNA parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran said the TNA has decided to file legal action against the registration of lands since the government has failed to respond to the TNA’s request.

Parliament last Friday (21) debated the issue related to the lands in the North and East and according to Sumanthiran, the Government had justified the land registration during the debate in parliament.

Under the Government’s ‘Bim Saviya’ National Land Title Registration programme, all lands in the island are surveyed demarcated, ensured ownership and issued a title certificate, free of charge. The land owners are required to provide accurate information and hand it over to the Grama Niladhari of the respective Divisional Secretariat by 20 November.

The Tamil party however, accuses the government of land grabbing to promote Sinhala colonisation.

The TNA last week held a protest in Vavuniya against the registration of lands in the North and East.

Meanwhile, TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran says the TNA has made three requests to the government namely to stop the registration of lands in the North and East, stop the setting up of a new Sinhala division by allocating Weli Oya under the Mullaitivu District and to stop the appointment of a Sinhala GA to Mannar.

He explains that these issues would create new problems if carried out without finding a political solution to the ethnic issue and proper reconciliation.

(Colombo Page)