Bim Saviya will end land frauds - minister

The 'Bim Saviya' programme launched throughout the country will cry halt to various land frauds involving the sale of state and private lands on forged deeds, Land and Land Development Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon said.

He said so at an awareness workshop on the 'Bim Saviya' programme attended by a group of school principals and students at the Dambulla National School auditorium recently. Minister Tennakoon said land frauds involving the sale of expensive land on forged deeds by unscrupulous persons has reached crisis proportions today.

His ministry received a large number of complaints regarding this racket daily. There are reports that some of these frauds are carried out with the connivance of certain public servants. They would be able to stop this racket completely with the full implementation of the <I>Bim Saviya<$> programme.

Minister Tennakoon said they have planned to subject 40,000 plots of land in 59 Grama Niladhari divisions in the Dambulla Divisional Secretariat Division for surveying under the <I>Bim Saviya<$> programme. Out of these, surveying had been completed on 5,000 plots.

Minister Tennakoon also distributed a consignment of Atlases and books among the group of 22 principals present for the benefit of their schools. The Survey Department also conducted a practical workshop on surveying and mapping for the benefit of a selected batch of 80 students.