Mahaweli land ownerships to be provided soon

The ownership of Mahaweli lands will definitely be provided to the second and third generations of Mahaweli residents, Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said.

Walawa Special Mahaweli Zone Farmers felicitated Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva for the service rendered to farmers of the Mahaweli Zone during the past four years and to mark the minister's completion of 30 years in politics at a ceremony on May 29 at Embilipitiya D A Rajapaksa auditorium. Here, Walawa Mahaweli Zone farmers' organization members presents a memento to Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. Walawa Zone Resident Project Manager Asanka Gunathilake looks on.

He said so participating in a deeds and licence awarding ceremony at D A Rajapaksa auditorium, Embilipitiya held under the patronage of Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa recently.

The minister said he regrets the delay in providing ownership of Mahaweli lands for second and third generations who dedicated their lives for these lands since the beginning of the Mahaweli project.

"We received information regarding malpractices which occurred while providing lands earlier. No one can sell these lands without written permission," he said.

He said if anybody sells Mahaweli lands without permission from relevant authorities, the seller and purchaser will lose the land.

About 3,000 farmer families who live in 34 Mahaweli units received deeds and licence at the occasion.

"It is not easy to provide deeds for Mahaweli lands. Surveyors have to play a big role in this process," the minister said.

"The Surveyors' Association agreed to do all surveys. Therefore, we were able to carry out this process immediately," he said.

"We also have to provide another 125,000 deeds. We hope to provide deeds for all lands in Walawe region within 2014," the minister added.

He said another 30,000 deeds will be provided next month under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.