Hon. (Dr.) Hiniduma Sunil Senevi - Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, this is the reply to the question raised by Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan under Standing Order 27(2) on 2025.03.06.

¶ 02 1. There is a site called Tissa Viharaya in the village of Thyiddy, Valikamam North, Jaffna District. It is not registered. The land ownership must be ascertained.

¶ 03 2. No written report has been submitted to the Ministry regarding this. We only have information seen through the media.

¶ 04 3. This matter actually falls under the purview of the Ministry of Lands, not the Buddhasasana Ministry. Upon inquiry from the Lands Ministry, it has been recorded that no acquisition process has been carried out, and therefore no Gazette notifications have been issued under the Land Acquisition Act.

¶ 05 4. Since no acquisition has taken place, there is no such Gazette.

¶ 06 5. As no acquisition has occurred, a further answer on that point does not arise.

¶ 07 6. There have been many interventions regarding this. His Excellency the President summoned us and held lengthy discussions. From time to time, groups from Jaffna also met us for extended discussions. A committee has been appointed to intervene, chaired by Mr. Vijith Rohan Perera of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), with our Ministry Secretary as the Secretary to the Committee, and five other members.

¶ 08 Hon. Speaker, as stated earlier, this matter involves several Ministries and structures, including the Ministry of Lands. Therefore, it cannot be resolved from a single point. ONUR, along with the Hon. Minister and State Minister of Justice and others, went to Jaffna and carried out extensive interventions; I have those records with me. Since the issue pertains to land acquisition and Gazette notifications, our Ministry and the Lands Ministry must work together.

¶ 09 I wish to emphasize to Parliament our sincere efforts. I have seen this matter raised at Northern Province District Coordinating Committees, where Hon. Ministers and Members clearly presented matters. We genuinely wish to resolve these issues in the North. However, this is not something that can be resolved instantly. We have gathered details: in Valikamam North there are several sites known as Tissa Vihara; some are registered, some are not. Hence, the complexity begins with registration itself. Through the appointed committees we are intervening.

¶ 10 Thank you very much.