Workshop helps landowners without legal papers

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 April 2005, 07:39 GMT]
The second phase of the four-day workshop on finding solution to problems confronting the victims of two-decade-old war and tsunami in the northeast province in proving their land ownership to obtain financial assistance and other related compensation from World Bank (WB) funded North East Housing Reconstruction Programme (NEHRP) to rebuild their houses concluded Saturday in Trincomalee, NEHRP sources said.





Mr.S.Rangarajah, Chief Secretary of the North East Provincial Council (NEPC) inaugurated the first phase of the workshop, which commenced on March 21 and concluded on March 24. The second phase started on March 30 at the conference hall of the Provincial Guest House located in Uppuveli, a suburb in the east port town.

Several hundreds of people displaced in two-decade-old war and tsunami disaster have lost their valid documents to prove ownership of their lands and houses to claim financial assistance and compensation from the NEHRP and other state agencies, sources said.

The NEHRP through District Task Force structure has identified about 60,000 landownership problems confronting the war and tsunami affected families, sources said.

The workshop was held on the topic "Effective Property Titling and Resolution of Land Ownership Issues" and resource personnel experienced in land matters conducted lectures on " Mediation and Mediation Training" to members of the District Task Force set up in all eight districts of the province. The Asia Foundation (AF) provided necessary funds and resource personnel for the workshop, sources said.

"Mediation is an important aspect in our age. In mediation both parties win," said Mr.Tyronne Fernando, North East Provincial Governor addressing the workshop on the second day of the second phase Thursday as the chief guest.

Mr.K.Paramalingam, Provincial Additional Secretary to the Lands Ministry made the welcome speech.