http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20110318_03


Hotel handed back to Owner; No More HSZs in Jaffna

www.defence.lk">The famous Subash Hotel on the Victoria road in Jaffna town was officially handed over to its owner by the Sri Lanka Army on Thursday (17). On instructions of Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the hotel building was handed over to Mr. H. Hariharan by the Commander Security Forces - Jaffna (SF-J) Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe paving way for remaining private properties occupied by the Army to be sused by their legitimate owners.
On receiving the documents with regard to handing over the building from the Commander SF-J in the presence of Jaffna District Parliamentarian Mr. M. Chandrakumar, Government Agent Jaffna Mrs. Emelda Sukumar, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 51 Division Major General Janaka Walgama, Mayoress Jaffna Mrs. Yogeswari Pathgunarasa and other senior Army officers, expressed his sincere thanks to the Army and the government for arrangements made for him to get his property back in good condition.
Army having overpowered LTTE terrorist movements in the Jaffna town area, troops of the 52 Division made the hotel their Headquarters in December 1995 for easy administration and command over its troops and to monitor and control terrorist activities in the area. In May 1996, 52 Division Headquarters was replaced by the 51 Division. Since then 51 Division Headquarters had been using the building on rent basis. A monthly rental of Rs. 90000/= was paid from the beginning and it was increased to Rs. 125000/= since January 2010.
First block of the Subash hotel was handed over to Mr. Hariharan in February this year. The owner was paid Rs. 30000/= up to January 2010 and later for it. The rental was increased to Rs. 40000/= since January 2010.
With civil and public administration getting streamlined on par with other development programmes under the Wadakkin Wasantham (Uthuru Wasanthaya), and law and order is restored by the Police in the peninsula, Army is in the process of shrinking its strengths in popularized areas and shifting camps to remote crown lands. As a result, the Headquarters 51 Division which was functioning at the Subash hotel was relocated at Kopay two weeks ago under the aegis of Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya who declared open the new premises. Only a fewer number of permanent buildings are presently being occupied by the Army on rental basis with consent of their owners and those buildings will also be handed back to owners in the course of time.
Meanwhile, the Victoria road in the Jaffna town so far remained a restricted zone was opened for public use on Thursday (17) leaving no High Security Zones in the town area any longer. The Victoria road linking Jaffna-Palaly main road and the Clock Tower road remained closed for public use nearly for sixteen years due to security reasons since 51 Division Headquarters and several other military installations had been established in buildings either side. Releasing the Victoria road today marked the removal of High Security Zones in the Jaffna town.
Commander SF-J, Jaffna District Parliamentarian Mr. M. Chandrakumar, Government Agent Jaffna, GOC 51 Division, BGS SF-J and Mayoress Jaffna attended the occasion.
Jaffna Security Forces Headquarters has hitherto released all lands in Araly, Kolombuthurai, Gurunagar, Thanankilappu and Point Pedro to civilians and owners have already settle down in their orginal places. In addition, people in Kurumpasiddy in Vasavilan South in Thelippalai AGA Division, Ilavalai North, Ilavalai West and Wittakapuram in Valikamam North AGA Division, Manalkadu, Kudatthanai, Kudatthanai Karaiyoor, Potpathy, Ampan, Champianpattu North and South, Maruthankerni, Vathirayan, Uduthurai and Alaiyavalai in Vadamarachchi North and East were resettled recently after clearance of mines was declared. Accelerated de-mining is now being conducted in other areas of Thelippalai and surrounding areas for immediate resettlement of people.