Minister of Resettlement, Reconstruction and Hindu Religious Affairs D. M. Swaminathan said that the Resettlement Committee has received cabinet approval to return 818 acres of land in the Sampur area back to its original owners.

At a special meeting held recently at the Eastern Province Governor's office in Trincomalee Swaminathan asserted that the lands will be handed back before the end of April to their original owners.

In addition to these lands, another 234 acres of land which was under the Sri Lanka Navy will be released back to its original owners. Preliminary phase of the transfer has already begun at the Governor's Office of the Eastern Province, local media reported.

Meanwhile, 425 acres of land in the north was ceremoniously handed over to their owners by President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday (23).