Land disputes a major social problem -Secretary

by L. S. A. WEDAARACHCHI

[email protected]
 

Secretary, Lands Ministry Jayalath Ravi Dissanayaka said that land disputes are among the major social problems in Sri Lanka.

Twenty-eight-thousand Land title certificates (LTCs) were issued last year to reduce the number of Land disputes, he said. This year’s target is to issue 75,000 LTCs, he said.

Surveying lands is highly costly and time consuming. The government’s allocation for 2007 was Rs. 500 million. Senior Assistant Secretary (SAS), Lands Ministry, P. M. B. Udayakanta said that the Bimsaviya program is being implemented in 18 Divisional Secretary divisions in Colombo, Kandy, Ratnapura, Gampaha, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Badulla, Moneragala and Polonnaruwa districts.

He said that the government will expedite the implementation of the program at the request of the relevant government authorities and the people. Long-standing issues such as the boundaries of lands donated to the people by the Government and the government authorities such as the Mahaveli Authority will be settled under the government’s LTC program.

The Survey Department, Land Reclamation Department and Registrar General’s Department will assist the Land Commissioner General’s Department to implement the Bimsaviya program.