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Minister spells out series of land reforms to be introduced

from P. Rajaratnam in Nuwara Eliya

Minister of Lands Rajitha Senaratne, spelled out a series of land reforms, which will be passed in parliament in the coming months, and it will give the landless lot the legality and ownership, whereby in the next five years over twelve lakhs of such people will be availed with a plot of land in the country, with the help of the World Bank.

The Minister was addressing a fully packed New Town Hall, where seventy five people were given deeds, though they will become obsolete, with the new land policy being passed in parliament, probably in October next month.

Mr. Senaratne, who analysed the entire new concept of land policy for the country said he met a former eminent land secretary A. A. Wijetunga who is currently assigned in Canada to go into all land matters in that country by an international organisation, during his visit to Sri Lanka.

He said his indepth survey, studies and discussions with this eminent authority on land matters in Sri Lanka, the minister was able to gather so much of knowledge and data relating to lands in this country. Mr. Wijetunga had said that it was the late D. S. Senanayake, and the late Gamini Dissanayake, who had a vision and had introduced a sound land policy for the country, and he had suggested that it was opportune that a land bank should be created in the country, going into various aspects in other countries through a web system, whereby to have an upto date data and statistics and other allied information relating to lands in this country.

The Minister said he intends following that advice, and ensure that all available land were properly monitored and those in need be helped, and thus get into the third place behind the former two stalwarts.

The minister quipped that by the modern methods and introduction of the new land policy, land certificates will be issued to all recipients, mainly the poor, with his signature and even his signature may be placed on the lands belonging to the head of the state, the President.

In fulfilling such a task, he anticipated the co-operation and goodwill of the people and his officials of the ministry and outside. Mr. Senaratne said he has plans even to lease out large extents of lands in the dry zones, which will be developed with economic benefits for the poor, and already his ministry had embarked on such a task, where the Norwegians had been leased out twenty five thousand hectares for cadju cultivation. He said such steps have been taken with legal bindings, unlike the rich lot being benefited during the former governments.

Deputy Minister for Plantation Industries, Navin Dissanayake thanked the minister for his presence despite his illness, and said his late father Gamini Dissanayake had distributed lands among the poor irrespective of caste, creed or other barriers. He said during the recent past, several ministers have visited Nuwara Eliya with a view to develop Nuwara Eliya and he hoped the visit of Rajitha Seneratne will have the way to solve the landless problems of the people. Mayor of Nuwara Eliya Chandana Karunaratne, said when the city of Nuwara Eliya is taken up, the landless issue was synonymous for decades. While taking into consideration of such issue, they have to go on developing the area too. Therefore, he requested the Minister to give priority in solving the landless problem in Nuwara Eliya.

Keerthi Hemachandra, Director of the Janatha Estates Development Board, K. Balasubramaniam, Municipal Commissioner, Nuwara Eliya and several others also spoke.

A land mobile kachcheri was held with heads of the Ministry of Lands, where hundreds of people of the area placed their grievances.

District Secretary Nuwara Eliya D. Karunaratne proposed the vote of thanks.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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