New land act to be implemented

Shirley WIJESINGHE

COLOMBO: The present land crisis in the country was mainly created by the favouritism under the colonial regime in Sri Lanka said Western Provincial Chief Minister Reginald Cooray . He was speaking at a media conference at Western Province Land Commissioner's Department Auditorium on Thursday.

The media conference was held to explain to the media the progress made in collecting information to establish a Data Bank on the lands in the Western Province under "Smart Land Administration", project.

Cooray pointed out that the land distribution under the Portuguese regime was unfair and it was advantageous only to the foreigners.

"It is necessary to have a proper Land Act to overcome current land disputes in Sri Lanka", Cooray said.

"Our efforts to attract foreign investors to the country was also adversely affected by this weak and outdated land policy. It had also created more complications. A foreigner has no right to invest money on his own on projects without local partnership, the Chief Minister added.

"In Maldives foreign investors who wanted to commence a project will be facilitated by providing a land within a day," he said.