The Hon. Arun Hemachandra - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, Hon. Kugathasan, MP for Trincomalee, has raised an important matter by way of this Adjournment Motion. For years we have pursued approaches to address this, but a durable solution is now in sight during our government’s tenure. The Hon. Deputy Minister of Environment, Anton Jayakody, has clearly explained that these areas were gazetted around 1970, and that later, even “proposed forest” classifications were used to take over lands. We are committed to a permanent solution.

¶ 02 A committee was appointed in 2024 and a report received. It showed that not only in Verugal but across all 11 DS Divisions in Trincomalee—Padavisiripura, Kuchchaveli, Kantalai (Komarankadawala/Moravewa areas referenced), Kinniya, Trincomalee Town & Gravets, Muttur, Thambalagamuwa, Seruwila, Kantale, and Verugal—the problem is severe.

¶ 03 As previous governments failed to take decisive action, on 25.08.2025, by Cabinet Paper No. 25/1560/826/020, we appointed a sub-committee comprising relevant institutions: the Forest Department, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Department of Archaeology; District Secretaries of Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Batticaloa, Mannar, Trincomalee and Vavuniya; Provincial Land Commissioners of the North and East; land officers under District Secretaries; and officials empowered to decide land matters under the Mahaweli Authority and Coast Conservation Department.

¶ 04 This sub-committee will submit, within six months, a report with a permanent solution. We are confident we can provide a lasting resolution. Moreover, our four MPs from the District—Hon. Kugathasan, Hon. Imran Maharoof, Hon. Roshan Ajmeer and myself—are here and are advancing proposals via the District Coordinating Committee and other fora. Under our administration, not an inch of new land has been taken; rather, we have commenced release of lands in areas like Trincomalee, Kuchchaveli and Muttur from forest and wildlife holdings to the people. Let us continue united and proceed as usual. Thank you.