Vinayagamoorthy Kohilampal Vs Basil Rajapaksa, Minister, Ministry of Economic Development (SC FR 309/2012)

On 15^th June 2012, Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), supported 7 Petitioners originally from Sampur to file a Fundamental Rights petition (SC FR 309/2012) challenging their continued inability to access private property in Sampur and Gazette Extraordinary No. 1758/26  (17 May 2012) which demarcated their properties in Sampur as a “Special Zone for Heavy Industries”. CPA  supported this group to file a Fundamental Rights Petition in 2007 (SC FR 218/2007 and 219/2007) on the same matter when a High Security Zone was created. When the case came up on 13^th May 2013counsel for the petitioners stated to court that the documentation in support of the claims by the petitioners will be submitted within two weeks with effect from 13^th May 2013.When the matter came up on 20^th December 2013, Deputy Solicitor General appeared for the 2^nd to 11^th Respondents stated that they are in the process of preparing a survey plan for the purpose of allocating alternate land. The proposed settlement will be embodied in a motion that will be filed with notice in court somewhere in late February. He brought to the notice of the court that what is proposed is to provide alternate land to all affected persons inclusive of the petitioners and that land will also be provided for the others who are being displaced. On the 17^th February 2014, the Deputy Solicitor General informed the court that, documents relating to resettlement of persons in the area are ready to be served on the parties to the matter. The matter was mentioned on the 5^th of May 2014 and it was fixed to be mentioned on the 9^th of June 2014.