Presidential Committee studying Title Registration Act

Chamikara Weerasinghe

A Committee appointed by President Maninda Rajapaksa, comprising legal experts and top-level authorities on land titles , registration and survey in the country, are currently studying the country’s Title Registration Act No 21 of 1998, to submit recommendations to amend the Act.

The Committee on Title Registration Act is to submit their proposals in due course to the President, the Daily News learns.

A member of the Committee, Land and Land Development Ministry’s Additional Secretary L B S B Dayaratna said they have been instructed by the President to submit the recommendations to strengthen the land rights of the public.

“The recommendation would cover land rights of everyone, including land rights of the public in the North and East,” said Dayaratna.

“The committee comprises Commissioner General of Titles and Settlement, Commissioner General of Lands, Deputy Registrar General, and Senior Deputy General of Survey, legal experts and other policy makers, “Dayaratna said. He said steps are contemplated at this point of time, to give due value as well as the ownership of lands to the public by way of providing them with clear deeds with government certificates for authentication under “Bim Saviya” National Land Title Registration Programme.

The Committee’s recommendations to amend the Act will serve as the basis for this once they become law, he said adding that new amendments are envisioned to resolve problems relating to land ownership in the country.