This was implemented under the concept of the President Maithripala Sirisena to hand over the land deeds in Northern and Eastern provinces, which were held under the control of Government security forces thus far.

Leader of the Opposition R. Sambandan, Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement, and Hindu Religious Affairs D.M. Swaminathan, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Eng. Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, Chief Minister of the Eastern Province Z.A. Nazeer Ahamed, Ministers of the Eastern Provincial Council, the Divisional Secretariat of Muthur and some state officials were present at the event.

This land was previously occupied by a naval base in the area. Further navy has extended their support to refurbish the old Sampoor Maha Vidyalaya and Hindu Kovil which were stationed in this land, upon their handing over.

The naval base, which was declared open in 2007 as a naval training centre in Sampoor later commissioned as SLNS Vidura in 2013. President Maithripala Sirisena handed over 60 acres of land out of 237, which belonged to SLNS Vidura earlier, to its original owners in August last year and the rest of 177 acres were returned today. The Sampoor naval base was shifted to a new area nearby.