The Sri Lankan government says it has put aside Rs 300mn to offer to Internally Displaced People (IDPs), whose land was grabbed in Sampur by the military for a High Security Zone, reported BBC Tamil.
A case filed by the displaced, currently ongoing at the Sri Lankan Supreme Court, heard that the government will offer the IDPs alternate lands, and if they were not willing to accept this, they can take the money as compensation, the government attorney said.
The lawyer for the IDPs said it was illegal for the government to acquire private land without holding an inquiry into the need for the acquisition.
However Supreme Court Judge Mohan Peiris accepted the arguments of the government, and requested a report regarding those IDPs who wished to take up the government offer.
Commenting on the development, an attorney at law and lecturer in law at the University of Jaffna, Kumaravadivel Guruparan said the Supreme Court’s refusal to deal with the illegality of the land grab was consistent with its past record.
"This is not the first time that the Supreme Court has responded to petitions relating to land grab in this fashion," Mr. Guruparan told Tamil Guardian.
"In 2006 then Chief Justice Sarath N Silva in a case filed in 2003 regarding the illegal HSZ in Valikamam North, Jaffna, refused to rule on their legality and ordered 'administrative reliefs' (which also never resulted in any relief to the displaced Tamils). Similarly in 2007 the Centre for Policy Alternatives and others filed cases on the Sampur land grab issue which was thrown out by the then Chief Justice Saranth N Silva alleging that the case was brought to draw the attention of the International Community," he said.
"Earlier this week, on April 30 2014 in a case involving 192 petitioners relating to the publication of notices to acquire 6381 acres of land in Valikamam North, the CJ opined from the bench that such action does not constitute violation of Fundamental Rights and ordered the Attorney General's Dept to look into the issue of compensation."
"The Supreme Court has thus far consistently refused to rule on the legality of these land grabs. What happened today is consistent with the track record of the Supreme Court on the issue of land grabs", Mr. Guruparan added.
The Supreme Court Judge postponed the case until July 9.