Removal of illegal occupants of State land in Batticaloa
Wildlife Department lands forcibly occupied in Poonani and Naavaladi in Batticaloa have been restored to the Forest of Conservation Department, followed by Vaalaichchenai Magistrate Court Order.These lands lying on either side of the Polonnaruwa – Batticaloa main road belonged to the Department of Forest Conservation.On information received, Koralepattuwa North Divisional Secretary had obtained an Waalaichchenai Magistrate court order for evacuating the occupants of these lands.
A certain ethnic group was engaged in acquiring approximately 2000 twenty-perch plots across a 28-kilometre stretch from Poonaani to Naavaladi .
Subsequently the police, the police special task force and riot control unit officers arrived at the location and removed the wooden pecks fixed to indicate boundaries for allocated plots.
A tension arose between the occupants of lands and the police during the event.