Sri Lanka suspends land survey in Kurunthoor area following Presidential directive

Surveying of land in the Kurunthoor area put on hold due to a Presidential directive

The ongoing process of surveying land for agricultural purposes in the Kurunthoor area has been put on hold, following a directive by His Excellency the President, according to a letter from the Additional Secretary to the President, Lilaangovan, to the Director General of Archaeology, Prof. Anura Manatunga.

The letter, dated 22 March 2023 and with the reference number PS/NPD/MSO/2/03/10, stated that there was an issue in implementing the decision taken at the District Coordinating Committee and that a final decision on the land allocation should be reached in consultations with the agencies concerned before the surveying could proceed.

The Northern Province Coordination Division (NPD) of the President’s Office, to which Lilaangovan belongs, requested the cooperation of the Department of Archaeology in this regard.

The Kurunthoor area is located in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, which has been affected by decades of civil war and ethnic tensions. The allocation of land for agriculture has been a contentious issue in the region, with various stakeholders claiming ownership and rights over the land.

The suspension of the surveying process is likely to further delay the resolution of the issue and could lead to tensions and protests among the affected communities. It remains to be seen how the government will address the concerns and grievances of the stakeholders involved.