No Plans for Land Acquisition in North and East, Says PM – International Edition

Sri Lanka, May 24 — Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said that the government does not plan to seize lands belonging to residents in the Northern and Eastern provinces. Instead, she emphasized that the administration aims to swiftly restore land rights to their rightful owners.

The Prime Minister shared these comments during a conversation taking place today (23) in Parliament’s Committee Room No. 1, focusing on tackling the challenges associated with property rights encountered by residents of the Northern and Eastern regions.

Lawmakers from the Northern and Eastern provinces highlighted that current skepticism within the populace stems from how past administrations handled land ownership issues in these areas. They noted that numerous genuine owners do not possess adequate paperwork to substantiate their claims. Consequently, they stressed the importance of establishing a systematic approach aimed at restoring faith amongst the people.

They also mentioned that certain persons had illegally acquired land properties and conveyed that the public has faith in the present administration to provide an equitable resolution to this matter.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya reaffirmed that the administration supports transferring landownership to individuals via a lawful and authenticated process designed to dispel public concerns. She also stressed that under no conditions does the government plan to seize property from citizens.

Consequently, the Prime Minister instructed the officials that the administration will hold talks with the public and pertinent stakeholders to identify a suitable resolution and will proceed with the required actions moving forward.

The gathering included Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha, Deputy Minister Susil Ranasinghe, along with Secretary to the Ministry D.P. Wickramasinghe, Additional Solicitor General Vikum De Abrew, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, members of parliament from the Northern and Eastern regions, and delegates from various governmental bodies such as the Department of Land Registration and the Department of Survey, together with District Secretaries and additional attendees.