Mega development projects in the Northern and Eastern Provinces are raising pertinent questions about land rights and land acquisitions by different State departments and private companies, which has led to fingers being pointed at various State departments and levels of Government for failing in their duties. 

Large-scale development programmes have been changing the landscape of the Northern and Eastern Provinces since the end of the civil war in 2009. However, various allegations have arisen, including that the State is encroaching on private lands and forcibly acquiring them for development by large corporations and that officials responsible for upholding the law are turning a blind eye to matters. 

Adani in the north 

The final environmental report, prepared by a consultant for Adani about the proposed wind farm development on Mannar Island, as seen by The Sunday Morning, states that the total extent of the project area is 201.98 ha, comprising 150.28 ha of wind turbine area and 51.7 ha of access roads. 

The report further states that the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) will acquire the land and lease it to Adani Green Energy Sri Lanka Ltd. (AGESLL) on a long-term basis. 

“Most of the lands are private lands, and the rest is State lands which includes the coastal zone. The exact ownership of the land to be utilised for the project will be determined during the land acquisition process, which is ongoing,” states the report. 

However, speaking to The Sunday Morning, SLSEA Chairman Ranjith Sepala said that the lands to be acquired were privately-owned lands only, adding that the SLSEA would act according to the law and that acquisition was yet to begin.

He noted that the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) was yet to approve the tariff rates proposed in the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that the Cabinet approved earlier this year. The 20-year PPA with Adani Green Energy proposes a tariff rate of $ 0.0826 per kWh. 

Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Executive Director Hemantha Jayasinghe said that the lands could not be acquired for the project as yet due to the court cases opposing it as well. “However, we have heard some locals claiming that lands that had been acquired previously for the large-scale sand mining project will be sold off to Adani,” said Jayasinghe. 

Meanwhile, Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) Senior Researcher Bhavani Fonseka said that locals in Mannar were concerned as there was “complete confusion” at the local level about the status of these projects that would have a huge impact on their environment and livelihood.

“They are saying that in some areas notices have been put up while in others there is no information. Why is there a lack of information and transparency as to what is happening in these areas? This is leading to a lot of apprehension.”

In the east

Meanwhile, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam who represents the Batticaloa District said that since the Provincial Councils (PCs) were now defunct, the governors had all the powers vested with the PCs “so the Executive is controlling the provinces as well”.

“Land is being appropriated to a large extent without the consent of the elected representatives of the people and the people. Development should be sustainable and we welcome that which doesn’t come at the cost of destroying another man’s livelihood,” he said.

Rasamanickam alleged that State Minister of Rural Road Development Sivanesathurai Santhirakanthan alias ‘Pillayan,’ who also represents the Batticaloa District and is the co-Chair of the Batticaloa District Coordinating Committee, was misusing his power for land acquisition. 

“In Batticaloa, there is a mega project for aquaculture happening in the Vakarai Divisional Secretariat (DS) which didn’t get the consent of the public. But the project is going ahead as if the approvals were obtained from the coordinating committees. For this aquaculture project, land leases are being given to Pillayan’s party cadre. Pillayan’s party is giving out forms with the party logo to apply for the State lands. Aquaculture requires a lot of money as it is a project which requires a lot of land. They are giving the land to local names and the plan is to hand it over to a large company later. Pressure is being exerted on the DS to release the land,” he alleged.

He said that State mechanisms and machinery were being used in other areas of the province as well, with no checks and balances as the PCs were not functioning. “In Ampara too there are land mafias while in Trincomalee, irrigation tanks are being encroached. Politicians are backing supporters to do it,” he claimed, adding that officials were either failing to take action or not being allowed to take action. 

“Land which comes under all Government departments is being misappropriated and we have no way of stopping them.”

Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) Spokesperson Kanagaratnam Sugash said that the TNPF was collecting details about land acquisitions across the north and the east. 

“We are collecting all the details of the north and the east both – land acquisitions for both archaeological and development purposes. We hope to complete this by mid-August,” he said.