10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

The Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe

Jathika Jana balawegaya· Anuradhapura· 17 December 2024 ·Oral question: Oral Question: Ungazetted Livestock Grasslands in Batticaloa District (Q.64/2024)

AgricultureLand & Housing
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Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe stated that the issue concerning grasslands and cattle access is long-standing and that the Government is continuing existing administrative measures rather than starting anew. He cited demarcation of about 1,300 acres of Mahaweli land in Mailathamadu and temporary permission for cattle to access certain Forest Department lands for fodder pending gazetting. He said discussions through Divisional Secretaries and relevant institutions are continuing alongside necessary legal and administrative steps.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

¶ 01 Hon. Member, regarding whether we are starting anew or continuing—this is a long-running issue with complex and sensitive aspects. We are not starting from zero. For example, in Mailathamadu (Koralepattu South DS Division), parts of the grassland lie on Mahaweli lands. The Mahaweli Authority has already commenced demarcation of about 1,300 acres with boundary stones to segregate them.

¶ 02 Similarly, cattle have already been allowed temporary access for fodder on certain Forest Department lands, pending gazetting. These are ongoing actions—not just talks. Discussions are underway via Divisional Secretaries and among the relevant institutions, with corresponding administrative and legal steps being taken.

Provenance

Source
Hansard, Tuesday, 17 December 2024 ·No. 1734685396083959 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 17 December 2024. No. 1734685396083959. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/18122