Stay order defers expropriation of estate workers' land

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 July 2005, 01:10 GMT]
Colombo High Court Monday issued a stay order on the the State's attempt to expropriate land belonging to estate workers at the Ingurugama tea estate in Badulla district, legal sources said. Families of several estate workers were asked to relocate to provide space for building University campus for Uva province.

Justice Eric Basanayake and Justice Sribavan issued the stay order.

Senior attorneys Mr B Sivaloganathan and Ms Suganthi Rajakulendran appeared for the plaintiffs V Rani, K Thangarajah, V Kalaichelvi, K Vijayalaxmi, V Pumaalai, M Kumaraswamy, V Katpuranam, N Mariathas, S Nadesan and S Parvathy.

The defendents in the case were Sri Lanka's Attorney General, Minister of Land Development, Surveryor General, Government Agent of Badulla district and Proprietors of the Grand Estate, sources said.

Legal sources noted that in the history of tea estates this is the first time workers have used Sri Lanka courts to fight against the State from expropriating workers' land.