“It has been 17 years since the end of the war. How much longer are we going to delay resolving our people’s land issues? Officials must carry out their duties with the understanding that the affected people are our own people of Mullaitivu and with the commitment that we are serving them,” appealed the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan.
A special review meeting on the “Five-Year Action Programme” of Mullaitivu District was held this evening – on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, at the conference hall of the Provincial Land Commissioner’s Office – Northern Province in Kilinochchi. The meeting was organized by the Provincial Department of Land Commissioner, Northern Province and was chaired by the Hon. Governor.
In his keynote address, the Hon. Governor further stated:
As a result of the final phase of the war, all land records maintained at the Mullaitivu District Secretariat were completely destroyed. In addition, many citizens lost their personal documents due to the conflict. Despite the passage of 17 years since the end of the war, people are still struggling to obtain legal confirmation of ownership for their lands.
This special programme has been initiated based on the vision of the Provincial Land Commissioner, R. Guruparan, with the primary objective of giving priority to these public concerns and expediting their resolution.
The success of this programme depends on the full cooperation of District Secretaries, Divisional Secretaries, Colonized Officers, Land Field Instructors, Land Officers, Development Officers and all other relevant stakeholders. However, it is concerning that the progress of the programme has not reached the expected level. If these land issues are not resolved promptly, people will continue to visit Divisional Secretariats, District Secretariats, and my office on a daily basis seeking solutions. Field-level officers must therefore perform their duties with the highest sense of responsibility towards resolving the problems faced by the public.
Speaking at the meeting, Provincial Land Commissioner R. Guruparan stated that a total of 198,751 land related matters have been identified across the Northern Province as requiring resolution.
He further noted that plans are being made, with the approval of the Hon. Governor, to strengthen staffing arrangements in order to achieve this target. He also expressed his gratitude to the Governor for approving the necessary allowances to support the implementation of this special programme.
The Commissioner also pointed out that delays by officials in processing land-related matters have resulted in significant revenue losses to the Province.
Subsequently, the progress of the programme was reviewed in detail on a Divisional Secretariat basis.
The causes of delays and shortcomings were analysed and explanations were sought from the relevant officials. The Provincial Land Commissioner also proposed disciplinary action against officers who continue to show unsatisfactory performance and repeated delays.
Emphasizing the need to accelerate the programme in the future, the Hon. Governor instructed that Divisional Secretaries should review progress on a weekly basis, while District Secretaries should conduct monthly reviews to ensure effective implementation.
The high-level discussion was attended by the Additional District Secretary (Land) of Mullaitivu District, Divisional Secretaries, Colonized Officers, Land Field Instructors, Land Officers, Development Officers and many other officials.
