Land Special Provisions bill tabled in parliament

COLOMBO (News 1st): The State Lands (Special Provisions) Bill was tabled in parliament today (June 28). The General Secretary of Parliament Dhammika Dissanayaka speaking at the instance stated that it is a bill with provisions to award the sole right to lands of the state held by citizens and matters pertaining to affiliated matters. Opening the debate, Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella said that this act affects the whole country because there are people who have only been residing in lands with a permit and that they cannot even obtain a loan from a bank. He further said that in such an instance that this land could not even be given to their children and that the act is being brought to give the people who have been living on lands with permits from the 1920s, the absolute right to their lands and allow them to obtain loans from banks and fulfil other requirements in order to develop the lands. Changes to Sri Lanka's land laws are one of the key programs conducted by the grant of US$ 480 million given through the Millenium Challenge Corporation. Parties who criticize these reforms pointed out that attempts are being made to create an economic corridor from the Colombo Port to Trincomalee and allow the entry of Ameican military troops into the country. The bill tabled in parliament by the leader of the house was the same bill that was criticized by the President on a number of occasions in the past On a previous occasion, the President had mentioned that he had publicly voiced his objection against the land act since it is not suitable for us. He further said that due to this land act that any private party will be allowed to purchase lands in the country and continued to say that the laws on the use of the land have also been removed through the act. President Sirisena had also mentioned how local governmental bodies are being granted with more power to partition lands in addition to what they had previously along with the provincial councils. He had further reiterated that if they do not consider all these observations that he cannot agree with it.