The NPP government is trying to maintain a balance between continuing demands for releasing north-east land held by the military and post-war security requirements, says Deputy Defence Minister Major General Aruna Jayasekera (Retd), who has undertaken a series of visits to the northern and eastern provinces in the recent past to explore ways and means of releasing the land, without compromising national security requirements.

Since the armed forces brought the war to a successful conclusion in May, 2009, releasing of both privately- and state-owned land began cautiously in October, 2009, and by now over 90 percent of both categories have been released. At the height of the war, before the launch of Eelam War IV, in August 2006, Jaffna peninsula had the largest concentration of troops assigned to four Divisions.

In the first week of June, Deputy Minister Jayasekera visited the Trincomalee District to ascertain the situation. The Defence Ministry said that the Deputy Minister had assessed the current status of such lands and received briefings from senior military officers and relevant officials on security and administrative aspects regarding the properties.

Following the field inspection, the Deputy Minister chaired a meeting at the Governor’s Secretariat Office where the discussion focused on what the Defence Ministry called a balanced and practical approach to address land-related issues, protect the livelihoods of the people, and ensure that national security requirements were properly managed.

Jayasekera, with a career spanning well over three decades, retired in November, 2019, after having last served as the Eastern Commander for about a year.

During his June visit, the Deputy Minister visited various security forces establishments, including the 22 Infantry Division.

A senior retired military official said that those who had been demanding that all security forces held land, both state- and privately-owned, be released, have conveniently forgotten that this was made possible due to the eradication of the LTTE.

The Deputy Defence Minister conducted a series of field visits in the Jaffna and Wanni regions to assess the security situation and operational commitments. According to the Defence Ministry, the Deputy Minister addressed senior tri forces personnel at the Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna (SFHQ-J) and the Security Forces Headquarters – Wanni (SFHQ-Wanni).

The Deputy Minister chaired civil-military coordination meetings in the Mannar and Jaffna districts to the ongoing land ownership issues, fostering socio economic growth, and streamlining local infrastructure layout in close cooperation with the regional administrative mechanism. The Ministry said that the Deputy Minister inspected agricultural zones, private residences and public common areas, presently placed within the operational infrastructure of the Sri Lanka Navy across several locations, in Mullikulam, Silawathura, Talaimannar, Wankalapadu, and Pallimune.

Members of Parliament for the Vanni Electoral District, Selvam Adaikalanathan, Kader Masthan, Thurairasa Ravikaran and the District Secretary for Mannar were also present at the meeting where matters related to socio economic grievances, local infrastructure demands, and land rights of the local residents were central topic in the agenda.

The Deputy Minister of Defence chaired a second meeting at the Governor’s Office in Jaffna where the main focus was existing land issues in the districts of Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, and Jaffna.

The Jaffna proceedings were co-chaired by the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources and Chairman of the District Coordinating Committee for the Jaffna and Kilinochchi Districts Ramalingam Chandrasekar and Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development Upali Samarasinghe.

The Defence Ministry said that stability depended on striking an optimal balance between prioritising national security obligations and resolving outstanding issues related to both state owned and privately used lands. “We are implementing a transparent mechanism to swiftly transition designated lands back into the hands of local communities for housing, fishing, and agriculture.”

The participation of the Commander of the Army and the Commander of the Navy underscored the importance of the discussions held in the north.

In the Mannar region the focus was on lands, presently used by the Navy, in the areas of Mullikulam, Silawathura, Talaimannar, Wankalapadu, and Pallimunai.

Authoritative sources said that since the end of the war, the military had given up held areas and what remained occupied were essential for security purposes. The depletion of the area under direct control should be examined taking into consideration gradual overall reduction of combined security forces strength over the years. At the end of the war, the Army had approximately 205,000 officers and men, both regular and volunteer. That figure has been reduced to 150,000 to 160,000. In line with the government thinking the Army strength would be brought down to 100,000 by 2030, a plan first announced by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Colombo Chief Magistrate Lahiru de Silva yesterday granted bail to Yoshitha Rajapaksa, second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on three sureties of Rs. 5 million each, and imposed an overseas travel ban.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) arrested Yoshitha yesterday morning when he called over to make a statement regarding an ongoing investigation into his recruitment to the Sri Lanka Navy and training at the UK Royal Naval Academy.

CIABOC said that the arrest had been made in connection with an investigation into the 2006 recruitment of cadet officers to the executive branch of the Sri Lanka Navy.

It has been alleged that individuals were recruited without meeting the required qualifications and state funds were used outside established procedures for their training at the Royal Naval Academy in the UK.

Expanding the use of electric vehicles (EVs) in Sri Lanka is not only vital for reducing the country’s dependence on costly fossil fuel imports but also essential for unlocking the full potential of renewable energy and strengthening the national economy, Power and Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka said yesterday.

Addressing a stakeholder consultation workshop on the formulation of the National EV Charging Infrastructure Policy, Minister Karunathilaka stressed that Sri Lanka’s transition towards cleaner transport could yield substantial economic and environmental benefits.

“At present, electric vehicles account for only about one per cent of the country’s vehicle fleet. If we can significantly increase that share and ensure that these vehicles are charged using renewable energy, Sri Lanka can save billions of rupees currently spent on importing fossil fuels,” the Minister said.

He noted that such a shift would also enable the country to maximize its renewable energy potential while making a meaningful contribution to economic growth.

The workshop, held in Colombo, brought together policymakers, regulators, energy experts and industry stakeholders to discuss strategies for developing a comprehensive EV charging infrastructure network across the country.

Minister Karunathilaka acknowledged that several barriers continue to limit the growth of EV adoption in Sri Lanka. He said the government was identifying these challenges and exploring practical solutions to overcome them.

Among the measures under consideration are the introduction of lower electricity tariffs for vehicle charging during off-peak daytime hours, the establishment of charging stations outside major urban centres, and the strengthening of the national power grid to accommodate future demand from electric mobility.

“The objective is to create an enabling environment that encourages more Sri Lankans to switch to electric vehicles while ensuring that the necessary infrastructure is available throughout the country,” he said.

The consultation forms part of a broader initiative jointly organized by the Ministry of Energy, the United Nations Development Programme and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

Representatives from the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, the National System Operator, electricity distribution companies and other key institutions participated in the discussions.

Deputy Minister of Energy Arkam Ilyas, Energy Ministry Secretary Russel Aponsu, Director General (Engineering) K.I.D. Jayasundara, and UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota were among the senior officials and experts attending the event.

Energy sector observers say the development of a robust charging infrastructure and supportive policy framework will be crucial if Sri Lanka is to accelerate the adoption of electric mobility, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen its vulnerability to volatile global fuel prices.

The proposed National EV Charging Infrastructure Policy is expected to provide the roadmap needed to drive that transformation and position Sri Lanka for a cleaner and more sustainable transport future.

By Ifham Nizam