The Sri Lankan army’s continued occupation of divisional council-owned properties in Valikamam North is preventing resettlement and rehabilitation of the division, a council-member said.
The chair of Vali North divisional council (prathesa sabai) said that among several state properties and schools, seven council-owned properties were still being held by the army.
These were identified as the divisional council headquarters, the Kankesanthurai library, a children’s park, a rest house and three sports grounds in Kurumbusitty, Vasavilan and Kankesanthurai.
The council chair complained that with council-owned assets still under military occupation, the council is being forced to pay to rent private facilities and spaces to carry out work and programmes.
The occupation is preventing the council from carrying out work schemes to the planned timeframe and budgets, the council chair said.
The chair also pointed out that the military occupation of the electricity board’s premises meant that electricity supply to the area was poor and that electricity workers had to take an 18km diversion to be able to fix any issues.
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