The Sri Lankan Government has asked all Diaspora Tamils who own land in the north of the island to apply for new land deeds.
Minister for Land and Land Development Janaka Bandara Tenakoon has said that members of the Tamil Diaspora had ‘abandoned’ their properties and gone abroad.
Once the new forms have been received the application will be authenticated by the Ministry for Land and Land Development and the area surveyed before it is decided whether new deeds are issued to the owners or not.
The Senior Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Land and Land Development P. M. P. Udayakantha has said that the government has started to conduct inquiries in each Divisional Secretariat in the districts of the North, including Jaffna, Kilinochi, Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaithivu.
"Currently, we are inquiring into lands in the Nallur Divisional Secretariat area in the Jaffna District and forms have been made available at the respective Divisional Secretariat.” he said in The Island.
Udayakantha also added it would be preferable if the concerned could come in person and hand over the forms.