Fresh Survey Plan submitted to acquire Jaffna Presidential Palace land in KKS

The Jaffna Presidential Palace built on twelve acres of land belonging to locals is to be leased out to a Higher Education Institution. 

Moves are underway to legally acquire land on which Jaffna Presidential Palace was built on twelve acres of private land in Keerimalai, Jaffna along with the nearby Hindu religious site of Sadaiyamma Samadhi, Survey plan documents revealed. 

The Survey plan work was carried out by senior officials who came from the department's Head office in Colombo and handed over the final plan to Thellipalai Pradeshiya Sabhai recently. Landowners whose deed lands were also included in the survey plans alleged that the plan was carried out secretly as they were not informed about the surveying of their lands by any government departments. 

The new survey plan includes six acres of land consisting of building complexes of the Presidential Palace and surrounding lands and the area is renamed as "Ponnuputhukkaadu" as well, the owners alleged. 

The Survey Plan, a copy of which was obtained by Northeastern Monitor indicate that land owners are "claimant not known" and stressed that state lands were also included in the plan. The nearby military camps of the Security Forces are marked as boundaries as well. 

Copy of new Survey Plan submitted by Survey Department to Thellipalai Pradeshiya Sabha. - Northeastern Monitor

Local landowners alleged, that moves to acquire their land came following the announcement last October that the government decided to lease the premises of the Jaffna Presidential to the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) 

The Rs 3.5 billion worth of Presidential Palace built on twelve hectares of land during former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's presidency is yet to be declared open even after construction work was completed in 2012 by Tri-Forces.

At least seventeen landowners claimed they had deeds for the land utilized for the Palace. The building is constructed on 12 acres of land with 20 rooms and 2 swimming pools. The remaining 17 acres of private land located near to the Palace is also to be seized. 

After former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was unseated in 2014, he claimed that the building is not a residential palace but rather an “International Relations Center” constructed to host foreign diplomats and dignitaries. (N.Lohathayalan/ Northeastern Monitor/ September 9/2024)