TWO MILLION PLOTS OF STATE LANDS TO BE GIVEN TO RESIDENTS: MINISTER
The Lands and Parliamentary Reform Ministry would double the distribution of land title deeds to two million from the current one million in the next three years, Lands and Parliamentary Reforms Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka said.
Minister Karunathilaka added that the objective of the new programme was to make each and every family living on State lands anywhere in Sri Lanka without a legal document, the legal owners to the land they live in.
The Lands and Parliamentary Reforms Ministry has almost completed the distribution of one million land title deeds by now.
Minister Karunathilaka made these remarks at a joint discussion held at the office of the Chief Whip of the Government with Sustainable Development and Wild Life Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera.
“My target is to create a situation, where all Sri Lankans living on State lands illegally or legally, to own their own land by 2020. I am aware that the difficulties they face when applying for a bank loan, attempt to enter a child to school and other day to day important functions that require the ownership of the land they live on,” Minister Karunathilaka said. He said the priority in this programme would be given to people living in the North-east and Mahaweli areas.
Minister Karunathilaka assured that a committee would be appointed to look into the grievances of
My target is to create a situation, where all Sri Lankans living on State lands illegally or legally, to own their own land by 2020. I am aware that the difficulties they face when applying for a bank loan, attempt to enter a child to school and other day to day important functions that require the ownership of the land they live on
about 200 families living in Forest Reserves in the North-central Province illegally on the request of Minister Perera and added not a single family would be evicted without a proper accommodation.
He said even the Government Hospital in Padaviya was located on a land belonging to the Wildlife Department.
“The committee will make proposals in three months on how to provide lands to unauthorised dwellers on State lands without hindering the wildlife, environment and natural resources,” he said.