Dinasena Rathugamage –
The Army yesterday (16) handed over a seven-acre plot of land in Wattakachchi, Kilinochchi, where Karthakolomban mangoes are cultivated and where LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran held important discussions during the war.
The land, which belongs to the Department of Agriculture, contains several building complexes. On April 10, 2002, Prabhakaran held a special discussion with journalists from the South at one of the buildings located within this mango estate.
This center, situated in a large mango grove, was also used for special discussions between senior administrative officers in the North and LTTE leaders. The Karthakolomban mangoes served as dessert to the guests who attended these discussions were harvested from the same grove.
After the Army captured Kilinochchi in 2009, the building complex was taken over for military use.
After about 15 years, the Army has now taken steps to hand over the land and buildings back to the Department of Agriculture.
Before the war, this location functioned as a training center for the Department of Agriculture. Following the release of the land, it is expected to be used again for the same purpose.
