Thirty acres of private land occupied by the military for security purposes in the Vavuniya district is to be released next week to their rightful owners, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Prison Reforms Ministry Secretary P. Suresh said.
He said the private and public buildings that were not allowed for civilian activity for many years within this area will be released likewise on April 29 and 30.
Recently, the Government released a record 683 acres of land to civilians in the Thelippalei Divisional Secretariat area, Jaffna, during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
Speaking at the time, Security Forces Commander in Jaffna, Major General Darshana Hettiarachchi said with the recent release of land, around 50 percent of the people living in IDP centres will be able to return to their homes.
Hettiarachchi also said the Army is prepared to assist those returning by providing skilled labour and material to rebuild houses if requested.