The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, I table the answer.

¶ 02 Answer tabled:

¶ 03 (a) (i) Yes. The Central Expressway Project (CEP) consists of four phases. Issues causing delays include: - Time taken by the Survey Department to prepare tracings and plans, and by the Valuation Department to prepare statutory valuation reports. - Deficiencies in documents submitted for title investigations. - Route changes due to engineering needs requiring off-alignment acquisitions. - Time taken for court processes and obtaining directives. - Appeals by landowners disagreeing with valuations, referred to the Compensation Review Board and the Ministry’s Special Appeals Committee (Super LARC).

¶ 04 Phase-wise notes: - CEP Phase 1 (Acq. commenced Aug 2015): route changes led to additional off-alignment acquisitions. - CEP Phase 2 (Nov 2015): acquisitions proceeding; certain lots vested under Section 38(a); some referred to courts. - CEP Phase 3 (Oct 2015): ongoing; similar issues. - CEP Phase 4 (July 2016): in addition to above, due to the 2022 economic crisis, a high-level committee recommended re-sequencing and expediting mega projects. Cabinet Memorandum No. AmP/23/0345/608/030 dated 15.02.2023 and Cabinet decision of 20.03.2023 provided for payment of remaining compensation for partially-paid lots and to assign further actions to District Secretaries, and to vest unpaid lots under the Land Acquisition Act. Subsequently, the decision of 20.03.2023 was annulled, and a Cabinet Paper No. 21/2025 dated 22.05.2025 was submitted proposing resumption of suspended acquisitions under Phase 4. (See annex.)

¶ 05 Table 01: Status of compensation (Phases 1–4) - Phase 1: Lots acquired 5,424; compensation paid 4,302 (79.3%); to be paid 1,122 (20.6%); route changes led to off-alignment acquisitions. - Phase 2: Lots acquired 4,406; compensation paid 4,141 (93.9%); certain lots vested under Sec. 38(a); some referred to courts. - Phase 3: Lots acquired 4,261; compensation paid 3,233 (75.8%); to be paid 1,028 (24.1%). - Phase 4: Lots acquired 3,505; compensation paid 207 (5.9%); to be paid 3,298 (94%); acquisition activities not proceeded with as per Cabinet decision AmP/23/0345/608/030 of 20.03.2023. (See Table 02.)

¶ 06 (b) (i) Yes. Compensation under the Land Acquisition Act is paid based on statutory valuations by the Government Valuation Department and established fiscal provisions. Owners who disagree may appeal to the Compensation Review Board (LARC). Additionally, as per Gazette Extraordinary No. 1864/54, ex gratia payments may be made by LARC; those disagreeing may appeal to the Ministry’s Special Appeals Committee (Super LARC). Once decisions are accepted, payments are expedited using fiscal provisions.

¶ 07 (ii) Not applicable.

¶ 08 (iii) Yes, there is delay for CEP Phase 4.

¶ 09 (iv) For CEP Phases 1–3, payments to owners who have clear title and who agree with assessed compensation are made without delay. Where title disputes exist, matters are referred to courts, and payments are made after court decisions. For Phase 4, as acquisition activities were suspended per Cabinet decision dated 20.03.2023, compensation payments have been delayed. Generally, the standard acquisition process takes about 135 weeks; CEP acquisitions under the expedited procedure are expected to be completed within 77 weeks. Upon receiving voucher projects from District Secretariats, payments are made expeditiously.

¶ 10 (c) Not applicable.