Digital Land System Proposed to Curb Land Fraud

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The need to modernize Sri Lanka’s land administration system through greater transparency, efficiency, and digital technology was emphasized during a meeting held with the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability in Parliament under the chairmanship of Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy.

During the meeting, extensive discussions were held on the roles of institutions responsible for the country’s land sector, the challenges and reforms required in land administration.

Officials emphasized the need to integrate all land-related data into a unified digital system to help curb the misuse of state lands and fraud involving forged deeds.

They pointed out that land administration could be made more systematic by maintaining information on ownership, boundaries and other details of state lands within a single database.

Officials also said that establishing a national digital land information system based on GPS coordinates could help reduce land-related fraud.

The committee also discussed coordination issues among state institutions, including the Land Reform Commission, the Mahaweli Authority and the Janatha Estates Development Board, particularly regarding land ownership and boundary demarcation.

The committee emphasized that implementing necessary legal and administrative reforms, introducing digital data systems, and strengthening coordination among state institutions would further improve transparency and efficiency in the land administration sector.