Parliament

Selling lands to foreign companies:

‘Members of this House must safeguard rights of people’

Sandasen MARASINGHE and Disna MUDALIGE

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa presided when Parliament met at 1 pm yesterday. After the presentation of papers and oral questions, Parliament adjourned until 1 pm today. Later on, the adjournment motion moved by JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, was taken up for debate.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake (JVP):

The traditional farming lands that were owned by our farmers and their children, are being sold to companies by the government. I move that priority be given to grant lands to the children of farmers for cultivation.

The lands owned by the people and also poor farmers are being sold to companies. These lands are very valuable to our people. We know that most wars had been fought on land. The capitalist countries who own most of the lands and other national resources, have not been able to fulfill the basic needs of their people. But they are attempting to take over various natural resources, including lands throughout the country. Now there is an argument that natural resources have to be owned by the people in those countries. It is a responsibility of the members of this House to safeguard the rights of the people so that they could enjoy the lands and other natural resources equally. The children of farmers do not have lands to cultivate. They are children of farmers who provide food to the people of this country. Those children should be granted lands to cultivate.

But lands are being sold to various companies. Now priority should be given for the granting of lands to children of farmers. Do not damage the dignity of our farmers by making them labourers in foreign companies.

Dayasiri Jayasekara (UNP):

I second this motion. We admit that the country should be developed. The tourism industry should be developed. But the lands should not be sold.

Deputy Chairman of Committees Murugesu Chandrakumar takes the chair

This government said the UNP was selling Sigiriya and also lands. Now their government is doing the same thing. Lands in Kalpitiya are being sold by two people by the help of forged deeds.

The government has given 11,000 acres of land from the Somawathiya National Park for banana cultivation. This is a violation of environmental laws and regulations. The government is not disclosing these facts.

Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena: The opposition is trying to show that the government is giving land to companies without giving them to the people. It is a baseless criticism the opposition raises. This government has taken enormous efforts to uplift the living standards of the people. We have distributed land deeds for the needy. Divi Neguma has been launched to uplift and develop rural villages.

MP Dayasiri also said that the government sold land that belonged to the Somawathiya National Park. As Wildlife Minister, I stress with responsibility that no land in Somawathiya had been sold to anybody. This was a misleading factor. The land containing 5,598 acres in this area had been a state farm earlier. This had been given to the army for cultivation purposes.

However, Wildlife Conservation Director General, many other officers and I visited this site and made sure that there was no harm being done from cultivations to the wildlife in Somawathiya. This government is highly concerned of conserving and protecting wildlife and the environment when carrying out development activities.

Land and Land Development Deputy Minister Siripala Gamlath: Even though the opposition claims that this government had not granted any land to the people, I would like to note that we have distributed a large number of land deeds among the ordinary people. I would like to point out that 125,607 blocks of land had been distributed among the people by this government.

Moragahakanda and Uma Oya projects have been commissioned to benefit the rural community in the country. Those areas are witnessing a rapid development. Therefore, Anura Dissanayake MP’s claims that this government did not think of the ordinary and poor people, was wrong and misleading.

Dr Harsha de Silva (UNP): Anura Dissanayake MP spoke with much pains over the selling of Sri Lankan land to foreigners. He holds the view that no land of the country should be given to non Sri Lankans. It was this view that even Minister Weerawansa had when he was a member of the JVP. However, recently he had said that giving land for foreign and private investments is a good method. This is how policies change when one changes his or her party.

This adjournment motion should have been presented to thank the opposition for halting the government’s previous act of selling land with full ownership rights to foreign companies by diverting it to a 99 year lease. It was this objection by the opposition that forced the government to arrive at this decision.

Economic Development Deputy Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena: Eventhough DNA MP Dissanayake presented this motion today, there was not a single DNA MP to second the motion. It was seconded by a UNP MP.

I must note that this government had not sold any land of the country straying out of the law. All these land deals had been pursued in a legal manner. The claim of the DNA MP was that the government was giving the land that should have been given to the farming community in the country. This was not true. While pursuing these foreign investments, we have also distributed many land blocks to farming community as well as other needy people.

During the past, land deals had been highly controversial. I would like to point out a few of them. The seven acre land of the Hilton was given on a 99 year lease in 1984 at Rs 136.3 million. The 3.5 acre land of Galadari was given in 1988 for Rs 88 million. The World Trade Centre land, containing two acres were released at Rs 48 million. Those are just a few examples from the past.

However, the 10 acre land given to Shangrila was given at Rs 8 million per perch. The benefits of this investment to the country surpasses the monetary value.

In Kalpitiya tourism projects, we have also given space and room for fisher families to engage in fishing. We have not denied them access to the sea. We have had discussions with the fishing community and have paid attention towards their needs.

The land at Galle Face is an idle land for investment. This land should not be left ideal as the opposition suggests.

The opposition also said that we had distributed land in Polonnaruwa. I stress that not a single block of land in Polonnaruwa or Moneragala had been given to any company for any investment.

Those were misleading facts.

The opposition also said that cultivated land in Somawathiya is close to the sacred city of Somawathiya. This is also wrong. I request him to measure the distance from this land to the sacred city and find out whether this land was not cultivated for a long time in the past. It belonged to the Livestock Development Board.

Sivasaktheey Ananthan (TNA): Locally and internationally, the government is saying that people in the North and the East, can move freely after the end of war.

However, I would like to point out that some of these people cannot have access to their own land. They are not given permission to enter these lands. The government also attempts to take over paddy land of the Tamil community in these areas, saying that mines had been buried in these land.

Resettlement Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan: We don’t agree to the opposition’s complaint that the government was selling lands in this country to foreign companies. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a patriot which is the reason he had remained in politics for more than 40 years. He loves this country and the environment.

The development measures should be taken at the proper time. The government has taken measures to grant plots of land to the public in Sampur area. Plots have been granted to about 100,000 people who do not have lands.

U M Farook takes the Chair.

A H M Azwer (UPFA): It is ridiculous of the JVP engaged in destructive politics to speak of the right of lands. There are certain elements who are anti government, anti religious, anti social, so the government should be vigilant over those elements. The government has promised to grant lands in Jaffna to the Muslims who were chased away one night.

Ajith P Perera (UNP): The sacred members of the triforces liberated the land from terrorism with various sacrifices. But this government is selling those lands to foreigners.

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody takes the Chair.

A 100 percent tax is imposed when foreigners bought lands from this country, but that tax has been lifted. So people in our country cannot buy lands anymore.

Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Minister Jagath Pushpakumara: I raise a point of order. The member who moved the motion is not in Parliament. Now he is at Mirihana police.

Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena: There is a tradition in this House that any member who moved a motion or seconded it, should remain in the House to listen to the reply.

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody: It is accepted that the member who moved the motion or seconded it should remain in the House.

Water Supply and Drainage Minister and Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena: This is not the tradition.

Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna: Various governments have lent lands in extension of 1,530 acres in the Western Province for various projects. The profits gained from these projects by 2005 was only Rs 30 million. Today it has increased to Rs 60 million. By 2015, the per capita income would be doubled.

The Opposition needs only the problems in this country to be increased. But the government has an aim.

The government needs to develop the nation.

So agriculture should be developed to cater to the market.

We question Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as to what the price of a kilogramme of paddy is today and a few years ago. Compare it.

Today we have to initiate large-scale agriculture projects in our country. Now they talk of lands in the East, but a few years ago nobody could trod on that land due to terrorism.

The hotels in Colombo contribute a lot to the economy of this country. They were established in the lands of the Defence Ministry. They were genuine investments. We have to take maximum benefits from the lands in our country for development.

The government will take measures to distribute more and more land for the farming community while uplifting their living conditions.

Social Services Ministr Felix Perera: Former Prime Minister S W R D Bandaranaike distributed blocks of land to the poor and farming community. Today, we have to take into account the contemporary economic situation and investment possibilities.

These are massive investments that contribute to the well-being of the country. According to the ‘Regaining of Sri Lanka’ programme of the UNP, blocks of land had been given to the private sector at very low prices.

Therefore the UNP has no moral right to point a finger at the government with baseless allegations today.

Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Minister Jagath Pushpakumara: This motion was presented as a mud slinging campaign against the government by the Opposition. However, both the DNP MP who presented the Motion and the MP who seconded it have left the House.

The JVP has gone to the police station over a dispute they had regarding the ownership of ‘Lanka’ newspaper. It has its own internal problems.

Today the government is taking steps to develop necessary facilities for the promotion of the tourism industry which is flourishing in the country day by day after the war. Construction of hotels are necessary for this move.

The House was adjourned until 1.30 pm today.

Allocation of Rs 1.1 bn approved

Parliament yesterday approved a supplementary allocation of Rs 1.1 billion on a request of the Motor Traffic Department, to meet the expenditure related to printing vehicle number plates.

Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena presented it before the House. The Supplementary allocation had been requested for expenses of printing vehicle number plates from May to December 2011.

Ravi complains of delay in answers

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa yesterday said in Parliament that he would inquire from the Secretary to the Finance and Planning Ministry as to why they were not prompt in answering questions raised by Opposition members during the oral answers in Parliament.

He made this observation when UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake said that questions raised by them for oral answers from the Finance and Planning Ministry were not given immediately.

At this stage, the Speaker also stated that he would meet the Secretary to the Finance and Planning Ministry in Parliament and the matter would be discussed on that occasion. Ravi Karunanayake said that the delay in answers was when Finance and Planning Deputy Minister asked for further time to answer a question.

Opp Leader on budget debate dates

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday requested Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to appoint a committee consisting of members from both government and Opposition to decide on the dates for the debate on the budget. Making this request in Parliament, Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that there was no time to have discussions over the expenditure heads of all ministries as there were many ministries.

Wickremesinghe also stated that the expenditure heads of the main ministries should be debated during the budget debate and suggested that a committee should be set up to discuss how to debate the expenditure heads of other ministries.

Insurance scheme for minor export crop cultivation

An insurance scheme will be introduced to minor export crop cultivations, the Minor Export Crop Promotion Minister Reginold Cooray said in Parliament yesterday.

The minister said that discussions were underway as to how to proceed on the insurance, adding that it should be launched in a very firm manner.

The minister also noted that 3,000 hectare will be newly cultivated for minor export crop promotion. He was responding to a question raised by UNP MP Buddhika Pathirana.