SC fixes inquiry into Palaali HSZ case filed by farmers

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 November 2007, 17:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday fixed the inquiry for March 10 next year into the fundamental rights violation petition filed by a group of farmers seeking the court to make an order allowing them to cultivate their traditional paddy lands now being occupied by the Sri Lanka Army in the name of high security zone in Jaffna district since 1990, legal sources said.

The FR petition filed by Maavai Senathirajah and some other farmers who own paddy lands in the Palaali area now being declared as high security zone was taken up for further inquiry before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court Monday. The bench comprised Chief Justice Sarath N.Silva (Chairman), Justices Ms Shiranee Tilakawardene and Jagath Balapattebendi.

One of the petitioners, Maavai Senathirajah, is a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian representing the Jaffna district

The petitioners submitted to court that their livelihood had been badly affected due to their traditional farming lands located in Palaali being occupied by the Sri Lanka Army in the name of high security zone. Hence they begged court to order the authorities to allow them to cultivate their paddy fields, legal sources said.

Counsel for the petitioners told court that as instructed by the court on earlier the Jaffna Government Agent had perused title deeds of 927 farmers and certified them as genuine. But there was delay in allowing them to cultivate their lands.

The prosecution representing the Attorney General submitted to court that action has already been taken to release paddy lands to genuine owners.

The court then put off the inquiry into the petition for March 10 next year.