Welcoming investors for the sustainable and long-term development of the Northern Province, the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan, emphasized this to Mr. Antony Bernard, the Secretary – Political and Economic Affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka.
The meeting between the U.S. Embassy delegation and the Governor took place this morning (23rd of September 2025, Tuesday) at the Governor’s Secretariat in the Northern Province.
The Secretary of U.S. Embassy stated that their visit was to understand the situation in the Northern Province and that they had also met with several stakeholders.
The Embassy official inquired from the Governor about the release of lands held by security forces, the progress made in this regard, and future plans for land release. The Governor pointed out that, lands are being released step by step in line with the government’s policy that people’s lands rightfully belong to the people.
The Governor further highlighted that in the past, lands and paddy lands belonging to the people had been appropriated by the Forest Department and the Department of Wildlife Conservation through gazette notifications, describing it as a deliberate act. He explained the current government’s efforts to release such lands.
The Governor noted that the impact of the discriminatory actions carried out by previous governments continues to resonate even today, but stressed that despite the challenging circumstances, the government is taking all necessary steps to address them.
In addition, discussions were also held on the ongoing development activities in the Northern Province as well as future plans.
The Secretary to the Governor, Mr. S. Sathiyaseelan, was also present at this meeting.
