We are not ready to leave the hill country – MP Radhakrishnan

19-Dec-2025

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Opposition MP V. Radhakrishnan said the hill country is their homeland and they are not prepared to relocate to Jaffna or Batticaloa. He urged the government to allocate seven-perch plots of land to hill-country people and provide necessary facilities.

Speaking during the adjournment motion on Dec 18, he said displaced estate workers are being asked to return home without proper safety clearance, despite earlier evacuations based on National Building Research Organisation reports.

He cited cases of displaced families being pressured to move out of schools and camps without alternatives. He recalled government assurances during the budget debate to build separate houses and allocate land.

He argued that allocating seven perches of land would require only about 5,000 acres out of vast plantation areas and would not cause losses. He urged the government to act, warning that otherwise the community would remain marginalized.