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by Ranil Wijayapala

The Sri Lanka Army has vacated more than 90 percent of the school buildings occupied by the Army in the North and East and arrangements have been made to vacate the others by early August, Army Commander Lieutenant General Lionel Balagalle told the 'Daily News' yesterday.

He said Army is occupying only two places of religious worship in Seruvavila and Gonagala on the request of the villagers and all the other places of religious worship have already been vacated.

The Army had occupied 49 schools in Jaffna, nine in Vavuniya one in Mannar, five in Trincomalee and three in Batticaloa, the Commander added.

Responding to a question regarding the relocation of Army Camps in school buildings in the Jaffna district he said except two schools, Hartley College in Point Pedro and Sittivinayagar Primary school in Palaly, 47 schools occupied by the Army have already been vacated.

The two schools will also be vacated once alternate arrangements are made to shift the Army personnel from these camps, the commander added.

The delay in shifting those army camps is due to financial constraints and the lack of ground needed to relocate them, the Commander added.

Rs.50 million has already been allocated for the relocation of the Army camps in school buildings, places of religious worship and other public buildings and it is estimated Rs.400 million is needed to complete the process.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also emphasised the necessity of vacating all the school building and places of religious worship by August when he met the Tamil MPs to discuss the problems regarding the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement at Parliament on Wednesday.

The Army vacated all the places of religious worship before D day + 30 in accordance with the Ceasefire Agreement and all school buildings and public places should be vacated by August 2 (D day + 160).

Steps have also been made to allow the trustees of the places of religious worship in the high security zones like Mavaddipuram Hindu Kovil in the Palaly high security to enter those places and to hold special religious rituals.

The Army has also vacated 20 of the 27 public places occupied so far, the Commander added.

Director Operations Brigadier Jayasuriya said the Army has also vacated nearly 100 - 150 private buildings occupied in Sarasalai and Meesalai area in the peninsula.

The delay in resettlement of civilians in those private buildings is due to the ongoing process of clearing landmines in these areas he added.

In the Vavuniya district the Army has already vacated seven of the nine schools occupied and the Army is still occupying two schools in Mahakatchchikudiya and Varikudiyoor Sinhala Vidyalaya on the request of the school principal and the villagers.

All the religious place in the Vavuniya district have already been vacated and 10 public buildings are yet to be vacated he added.

In the Mannar district the Army has to vacate one more school, Holy Family Convent, Mannar, and two public buildings.

In the Trincomalee district two school buildings, Panchanoor Tamil Vidyalaya and Kinniya Tamil Vidyalaya, and 12 public buildings are due to be vacated within the next month, the Brigadier added. Three schools have already been vacated.

The three schools occupied by the Army in the Batticaloa district have already been vacated and the Army is still occupying Morakatancheni school since the Government has already built a new school building to replace this.

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